Texans lose an hour of sleep as federal clock change looms
The state adopted permanent daylight saving time in 2025, but a federal law remains the final hurdle before the new schedule takes effect.
By Amina Howard ·
Texas has spent the summer operating under a new time policy, but the state’s clocks will still shift back to standard time this weekend. The change arrives on Sunday, Nov. 1, despite a state law signed in 2025 that aims to freeze the clocks at the daylight saving time schedule year-round.
The annual shift remains in place because the Texas statute, House Bill 1393, is contingent on federal action. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the "Texas Time" bill in June 2025, positioning the state to stop changing its clocks twice a year. However, the law explicitly states it cannot take effect until Congress amends federal law to grant states the authority to permanently observe daylight saving time.
A proposal to make that change has moved through the federal government this year. The Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, was referred to the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee after reaching the upper chamber. As of Oct. 16, neither the committee nor the Senate floor had scheduled a vote on the measure, leaving the status quo in force for the 2026 transition.
For residents of Austin, the immediate impact of the Nov. 1 change is a one-hour gain in sleep. At 2 a.m., clocks will roll back to 1 a.m. This follows the spring shift that occurred on March 8, 2026, when clocks moved forward an hour. The federal rules dictate that daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
If Congress eventually passes the Sunshine Protection Act, Texas would retain the summer schedule permanently. This would alter daily light patterns across the state. In Austin, the earliest winter sunset currently occurs around 5:31 p.m. in December. Under a permanent daylight saving time regime, that sunset would push back to approximately 6:31 p.m. The latest winter sunrise, currently between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m., would shift to between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.
The concept of shifting clocks has roots in World War I. Germany and Austria adopted the practice in 1916 to conserve resources during the conflict, with the United States following suit in 1918. While Benjamin Franklin is often linked to the idea due to a satirical 1784 letter, he proposed waking earlier to use daylight rather than changing the time itself. In that letter, he suggested, "Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing."
