The unanimous passing of the U.S. Sunshine Protection Act means Daylight Saving Time could become permanent in B.C. in 2023.
Image Credit: PEXELS/Samer Kaboel
March 15, 2022 - 4:00 PM
A unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate today, March 15, means Daylight Saving Time could be made permanent in B.C. next year.
The Sunshine Protection Act will make Daylight Saving Time mandatory in all states that are not currently exempt from it but not until 2023 so businesses like airlines and broadcasters have time to adjust.
The House of Representatives still needs to approve the law and President Joe Biden will have to sign it into law before it can happen.
READ MORE: Senate approves bill to make daylight saving time permanent
In 2019, the B.C. government passed its own law making Daylight Saving Time permanent but only when Washington, Oregon, California and Yukon did the same.
Yukon switched to permanent Mountain Standard Time in 2020.
The B.C. law was passed after 93% of B.C. residents who responded to surveys said they were in favour of permanent Daylight Saving Time.
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“British Columbians have said loud and clear that they want to do away with the practice of changing our clocks twice a year and our government is taking action,” Premier John Horgan said in a 2019 statement. “This bill creates a clear path forward for the transition, while also ensuring we take into account every detail during implementation.”
It does not prevent areas in the Kootenays and Peace River from observing their own local practices.
“While the bill doesn’t immediately shift the province to permanent Daylight Saving Time, it puts us in position to do so quickly,” Horgan said at the time.
There was no response to a request for comment from Horgan's office by publication time.
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