THE UNITED STATES is a step closer to scrapping its twice-yearly clock changes after the House of Representatives voted to make daylight saving time permanent.

The House voted 308-117 in favour of the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would end the practice of putting clocks forward in spring and back in autumn.

The bill would instead keep most of the country on daylight saving time all year round, meaning Americans would no longer have to adjust their clocks every March and November.

States that already opt out of daylight saving time, such as Arizona and Hawaii, could continue to do so.

However, the proposal is not yet law. It must still pass the Senate before it can be signed by president Donald Trump, who has repeatedly urged Congress to approve the measure.

Trump has described the current system as a “ridiculous, twice yearly production” and pledged to sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.

The bill could face an uphill battle in the Senate. Similar legislation passed unanimously there in 2022 but ultimately failed after it was not taken up by the House.

The modern system of daylight saving time dates back to the First World War, when governments introduced seasonal clock changes to conserve fuel. Although its original energy-saving purpose is now disputed, the practice remains in place across much of Europe and North America more than a century later.

Daylight savings supporters argue that ending the clock changes would reduce sleep disruption, lower the risk of road collisions and workplace injuries, and provide more daylight during winter evenings.

Opponents say darker mornings could create safety risks, particularly for children travelling to school.

The debate has also played out here in Europe.

The European Parliament backed ending seasonal clock changes in 2019 after an EU-wide public consultation found strong support for abolishing them, but member states have not yet agreed on whether to adopt permanent summer or winter time.

As a result, Ireland and the rest of the EU continue to change their clocks twice each year.

Several Irish politicians have called for the system to end, including MEP Seán Kelly, who claimed that the system “has been proven to have negative effects on health and well-being”.

Should daylight savings be scrapped in Ireland?