Senate bill would make daylight saving time permanent

March 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and other sponsoring lawmakers reintroduced legislation on Thursday that would make daylight saving time permanent.

The bill would halt the practice of turning clocks back an hour in the fall, preserving an hour of daylight in the afternoon.

"This ritual of changing time twice a year is stupid. Locking the clock has overwhelming bipartisan and popular support," Rubio said in a statement. "This Congress, I hope that we can finally get this done."

Six Republicans and five Democrats partnered to co-sponsor the bill, with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey saying that the extended daylight would help improve people's moods.

"It's past time for Congress to broaden its horizons and finally make daylight saving time permanent," Markey said in a statement. "With the Sunshine Protection Act, we can shine a light on the darkest days of the year and deliver more sun, more smiles and brighter skies."

When Rubio introduced a similar bill last year, he said that it would not be able to take effect until Nov. 20, 2023, because airlines and other transportation industries requested "a few months to make the adjustment" to their existing schedules.

However, Lyle Beckwith, a lobbyist with the National Association of Convenience Stores, said the time change can be a boon for businesses as studies showed that credit card spending increased in the spring in Los Angeles, which observes daylight saving time, compared to Phoenix, which does not.

"When the clocks change in the spring, people feel as though they have more time after work to engage in a range of activities that increase commerce, from eating out to shopping," Beckwith said.

Rubio's bill last year was approved by the Senate but was not voted on in the House. This year, Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., has introduced the legislation in the House.

Daylight saving time begins this year on March 12.

This article has been updated to correct an erroneous headline.