Two state lawmakers in New York are trying to make daylight saving time permanent, ending the need to push clocks back an hour in the fall and forward in the springtime. 

The proposal has united Democratic state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara and Republican state Sen. Joe Griffo, who are both backing the measure that would need to be done in a compact with neighboring states. 

“Americans have changed their clocks twice a year for more than a century, a practice that has proven to have negative impacts in our community,” Santabarbara said. “Studies have shown that moving clocks forward in the spring and back in the fall has a negative effect on sleep, productivity, concentration, and general well-being. Recent estimates show millions of dollars are lost each year due to decreases in workplace productivity during the transition. While daylight saving time has been reported to save energy, studies have shown very little is actually saved during this period of time.” 

Getting the regional agreement off the ground may be a challenge. So far, only New Jersey and Pennsylvania have introduced similar legislation. Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont are yet to do so. So far, 18 states have passed legislation supporting daylight saving time year round if Congress were to move forward with the change. 

Standard time went back into effect over the weekend, with clocks being moved back an hour. That means sun-splashed mornings, but also a late afternoon sundown. 

“I believe that making daylight saving time permanent would be beneficial for New York and neighboring states, especially when you look at research indicating that such a change would lead to decreases in health issues and traffic accidents while also enhancing public safety and boosting the economy," Griffo said. "There is active federal legislation to abolish Daylight Saving Time. I have continued to communicate, collaborate and coordinate with my legislative colleagues in other states regarding this issue and am optimistic that we will ultimately be successful in our efforts to establish daylight saving time as the year-round time in New York and Northeastern United States.”