Kentucky Lawmaker Proposes Year-Round Standard Time

Frankfort, Kentucky, September 29, 2025

News Summary

A Kentucky lawmaker is pushing a bill to eliminate daylight saving time in favor of standard time year-round, set to start October 31, 2025. While surveys indicate growing public support for abolishing the biannual clock change due to health concerns, similar past proposals have failed in the legislature. This proposal, introduced by Representative Steven Doan, aims to address negative health impacts associated with DST, including sleep loss and increased heart attack risks. The bill’s future remains uncertain as it has yet to advance out of committee.

Frankfort, Kentucky – A Kentucky lawmaker has proposed a bill that would eliminate daylight saving time (DST) in favor of observing standard time year-round. The bill, introduced by Republican State Representative Steven Doan, aims to implement this change starting October 31, 2025. However, similar proposals in the past have failed to advance in the state legislature.

As Kentuckians prepare to set their clocks back one hour on November 2 for the end of DST, a growing number of Americans—over half, according to surveys—are expressing a desire to abolish the biannual clock change. Despite this interest, federal legislation to permanently end DST remains stalled, and its historical significance has contributed to its continuation.

Evidence is increasingly suggesting that the switch to and from DST has negative health impacts. Studies have linked the time change to sleep loss, increased heart attack risks, and adverse effects on circadian rhythms. In response to these findings, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommended in 2020 that states adopt year-round standard time to enhance public health and safety.

Daylight saving time was first introduced in the United States in 1918 as part of the Standard Time Act during World War I with the intent of saving fuel costs. European countries initially inspired this move, and after its initial introduction in the U.S., Congress abolished summer DST post-war. However, states retained the choice to observe it if they desired.

DST made a return during World War II and again during the 1973 oil embargo but was later standardized by the Uniform Time Act of 1966. This act created a nationwide system for DST while allowing states to decide whether to opt-out through their legislation. The current schedule for DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, a framework that states like Arizona and Hawaii, along with U.S. territories, have chosen not to follow.

Representative Doan emphasizes that the ongoing health crisis stemming from DST and its disruptive impact on people’s routines warrant serious consideration. He has reported mixed reactions from constituents regarding the elimination of DST, with some supporting the idea and others concerned about potentially losing evening sunlight. Northern Kentucky residents could find themselves one hour behind neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana if the bill is successful, but Doan believes the community can manage these time differences effectively.

While House Bill 308 did not advance out of committee, Doan intends to continue introducing the legislation until it either passes or federal law abolishes DST entirely. Previous attempts to establish year-round DST in Kentucky also failed to gain traction, as did a separate measure in 2023 aimed at making DST permanent nationwide, known as the Sunshine Protection Act.

The persistent push to reconsider DST reflects a broader discussion about health, efficiency, and lifestyle quality that resonates with a significant portion of the population in Kentucky and beyond.

FAQ

Key Features of the Proposed Legislation

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HERE Resources

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Additional Resources

• WHAS11: Kentucky Daylight Saving Time Bill Exempt
• Kentucky.com: Daylight Saving Time Legislation
• WLKY: Kentucky Daylight Saving Time End Bill
• WKYT: Debate Over Daylight Saving Time in Kentucky
• Spectrum News: Farmers and Daylight Saving Time
• Wikipedia: Daylight Saving Time
• Google Search: Daylight Saving Time effects
• Google Scholar: Daylight Saving Time health impact
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Daylight Saving Time
• Google News: Daylight Saving Time Kentucky

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