The US Has 9 Time Zones and 15 States Want to Stop Changing Clocks. The Health Case Is Getting Stronger
Every March and November, Americans reset their clocks and their bodies pay the price. In early 2026, legislators in 15 states introduced bills to end the biannual clock changes that have governed American life since the Uniform Time Act of 1966. The movement is not new, but the medical evidence behind it is becoming harder to ignore.
For anyone scheduling calls across time zones, the confusion of daylight saving time adds an extra layer of complexity that remote workers and international businesses are increasingly unwilling to tolerate.
The Health Cost of Springing Forward
Daylight saving time transitions increase heart attack risk by 24% published in the American Heart Association’s journal Stroke found that hospital admissions for heart attacks spike 24% the Monday after the spring forward time change. The same research showed an 8% increase in ischemic strokes during the first two days after the transition. The mechanism is not mysterious: losing one hour of sleep disrupts circadian rhythms, elevates cortisol, and triggers inflammatory responses that stress the cardiovascular system.
The American Heart Association has taken notice. In March 2024, the organization issued a statement urging Americans to prepare for the time change by gradually shifting bedtimes, avoiding heavy meals before sleep, and limiting alcohol and caffeine. But public health researchers argue that individual preparation is insufficient when the policy itself is the problem.
Why 15 States Are Moving in 2026
The state-level push is accelerating. In early 2026, legislators in 15 states introduced bills to either adopt permanent standard time or permanent daylight saving time. The details vary: some states want to lock the clocks on standard time, others on daylight time. The federal government retains ultimate authority over time zone boundaries, but states can opt out of daylight saving time entirely (as Arizona and Hawaii already do) with congressional approval.
The politics are unusual. The issue crosses partisan lines in ways that few others do. Rural agricultural interests often oppose daylight saving time because it disrupts livestock schedules that follow solar time regardless of what clocks say. Urban tech workers favor permanent daylight time for evening recreation. Health advocates push for permanent standard time because it aligns more closely with natural circadian rhythms.
The Global Context
The United States is not alone in this debate. The European Union voted to abolish mandatory clock changes in 2019, but implementation stalled when member states could not agree on whether to adopt permanent summer or winter time. Russia abolished daylight saving time entirely in 2014 and now runs on permanent standard time across its 11 time zones. The move was initially controversial but has since stabilized.
India has used a single time zone – UTC+5:30 – since 1947, despite spanning more than two hours of solar time from east to west. The northeastern states have periodically demanded a separate time zone to address the problem of waking in darkness, but the central government has resisted, citing coordination costs for railways, airlines, and financial markets.
What the Science Actually Says
The medical consensus is clearer than the political one. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the American Medical Association, and the American Heart Association have all issued position statements supporting the adoption of permanent standard time. Their reasoning is biological: standard time more closely aligns with solar noon, which in turn aligns with the human body’s internal clock.
Permanent daylight saving time, by contrast, forces populations to start their days in darkness for several months each year. Morning darkness suppresses cortisol awakening response, reduces alertness during commute times, and increases accident rates. A 2020 study in Current Biology found that fatal traffic accidents increase 6% in the week following the spring transition.
The economic arguments are more mixed. The Department of Energy estimates that extended daylight saving time reduces electricity use by 0.5%, but other studies suggest the savings are negligible or even reversed in some climates. Retail associations favor daylight saving time because extended evening light increases consumer spending. Golf courses and barbecue manufacturers have historically lobbied for it.
