Florida House OKs bill asking to stay on Daylight Saving Time

Florida could stay brighter longer each fall and winter under a bill passed by the state House.

The House voted 103-11 to approve the bill to ask Congress to let Florida remain in Daylight Saving Time all year, meaning while the rest of the Eastern United States sets their clocks back in the fall, Florida wouldn’t.

Republican Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen said it would help tourism and give families more daylight time together after work. She said, “We are the Sunshine State, so we want to have more Sunshine.”

Congress would need to amend existing federal law to allow the change.

The Senate version of the bill also calls for moving the entire state into the Eastern time zone. Currently, northwest Florida is in the Central time zone.