Trick-or-treaters planning to maximise Halloween and squeeze in an additional hour of late-night enjoyable could should wrap up earlier this 12 months if President Donald Trump will get his method in making daylight saving time permanent, ending the twice-yearly clock swap.
However, the excellent news (or the unhealthy) for now could be that Americans are nonetheless anticipated to turn their clocks back on Nov. 1 as daylight saving time involves an finish, even after the House handed laws that will maintain clocks ahead year-round. The cause? The Senate is in recess till Sept. 14, and key lawmakers have questioned whether or not there are sufficient votes to cross the measure earlier than the autumn time change arrives.
That means the query about whether or not this would be the 12 months the nation stops altering its clocks stays. But will it influence Halloween, which falls on the eve of the clock swap? Here’s what to know.
DST: Here’s what it means if daylight saving time becomes permanent
When does daylight saving time finish in 2026?
Unless Congress acts, daylight saving time is scheduled to finish at 2 a.m. native time on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks transfer again one hour to 1 a.m.
The shift provides Americans an additional hour of sleep but in addition brings earlier sunsets all through the winter.
Will daylight saving time influence Halloween?
So far, the clock change is unlikely to influence Halloween, contemplating the day (Oct. 31) would already be over by the point daylight saving time ends and clocks bounce again an hour from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m. native time. However, if the clock change would not happen, these seeking to get an additional hour of spookiness post-midnight is not going to get that probability.
Pedestrians walks alongside Pennsylvania Avenue close to the U.S. Capitol throughout dawn on November 5, 2025 in Washington, DC.
What does Trump need?
Trump has lengthy supported ending the twice-yearly clock adjustments.
In an Aug. 4 submit on Truth Social, he called the practice “foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.”
“People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year,” Trump wrote.
The president argued that Americans overwhelmingly support the move and highlighted what he described as the benefits of permanent daylight saving time, including fewer traffic accidents, lower crime, energy savings and more time for families and outdoor activities.
“In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change again,” Trump wrote. “LET’S PASS THE SUNSHINE PROTECTION ACT, ASAP.”
While the debate over clock switching takes place almost every year, it gained new attention after Trump publicly urged senators to approve the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes.
The House approved the bill in July, but its fate in the Senate remains uncertain. With two months left until clocks are set to “fall back,” lawmakers are running short on time if they hope to change the system before Nov. 1.
Will the Senate pass the bill?
That’s far from certain.
Even with support from Trump and lawmakers in both parties, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, has questioned whether enough senators support the legislation.
If the Senate approves the measure, it would head to Trump’s desk for his signature. Until that happens, Americans should still plan on changing their clocks Nov. 1.
Not everyone agrees on the solution
While many experts support ending the clock changes, they don’t necessarily agree with Trump’s preferred approach.
Sleep and health researchers say moving clocks twice a year disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and other biological functions. The spring time change, when clocks move forward an hour, has been linked to sleep disruption, traffic crashes and increased health risks.
But many specialists argue that permanent standard time, not permanent daylight saving time, would be the healthier option.
Erik Herzog, a biology and neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis and former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms, previously told USA TODAY that permanent standard time would better align with the body’s natural clock.
Commuters walk through the morning bright sunlight coming from the 60 feet (18m) high windows in Grand Central Terminal in New York City on March 11, 2019 the first morning after Daylight Savings Time took effect March 10, 2019.
Religious groups have concerns, too
Some religious communities also oppose permanent daylight saving time.
Rabbi Josh Joseph of the Orthodox Union said many Jewish religious practices are tied to sunrise and sunset, which determine prayer times and observances. Later winter sunrises could make morning prayers more difficult, particularly in parts of the Midwest and Mountain West.
Some Muslim communities have raised similar concerns because certain daily prayers must be completed by dawn.
More: Permanent daylight saving time threatens Jewish prayer
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
No. Several states and U.S. territories remain on standard time year-round:
Most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation)
Most of the rest of the country continues to switch between daylight saving time and standard time each year.
Americans are ready to stop changing the clocks
Public opinion polls suggest many Americans have grown tired of the twice-yearly ritual.
A 2023 YouGov survey found 62% favored eliminating clock changes. A January 2025 Gallup poll found 54% wanted to end the practice, though Americans were divided over whether the nation should adopt permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time.
Contributing: Reuters; Bart Jensen, Zachary Schermele, Jorge L. Ortiz, Fernando Cervantes Jr., Emily DeLetter, Julia Gomez, Kinsey Crowley, Marc Ramirez / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump’s clock plan could affect Halloween