Abbott signs Texas law that could make daylight saving time permanent

Texas has approved a plan to keep daylight saving time all year, but Texans cannot switch to the new “Texas Time” until Congress changes federal law.

Governor Greg Abbott signed HB 1393 on June 20, 2025. The law says Texas must use daylight saving time throughout the year once federal legislation grants the state that authority. It covers both the part of Texas that uses Central Standard Time and the area that uses Mountain Standard Time.

The measure lists September 1, 2025, as its general effective date, but that date does not activate the new system by itself. Under current federal rules, states may opt out of daylight saving time and stay on standard time year-round. They do not have the opposite option, leaving Texas dependent on Congress.

Republican Representative Will Metcalf of Conroe introduced the bill, while Senator Paul Bettencourt played a central role in its Senate consideration. The U.S. House later approved the Sunshine Protection Act, H.R. 139, by 308 votes to 117 on July 14, 2026. The bill would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The Senate received it the next day, read it twice and sent it to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The article says seven of Texas’s 38 representatives voted against the measure.