[3] The Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act enacted year-round daylight saving time for a two-year experiment from January 6, 1974, to April 7, 1975, but Congress later ended the experiment early on October 27, 1974, and did not make it permanent[5] due to unfavorable public opinion, especially regarding concerns about children walking to school and waiting for school buses on dark winter mornings.

The bill received bipartisan support, and was cosponsored in the Senate by James Lankford (R‑OK), Roy Blunt (R‑MO), Sheldon Whitehouse (D‑RI), Ron Wyden, (D‑OR); Cindy Hyde-Smith, (R‑MS), Rick Scott (R‑FL), and Ed Markey (D‑MA).

[12] Two days later, BuzzFeed News reported that many senators were not aware that a request had been made for the bill to pass via unanimous consent and were not ready to raise an objection.

BuzzFeed identified Tom Cotton (R‑AR) as a senator who, according to a member of his staff, was vehemently opposed to the bill and would have objected to its passage had he been informed of it.

[17] As of February 10, 2025[update], the full history is as follows: Numerous polls have found that most Americans believe that a standard time should be fixed and permanent—as many as 75% favor no longer changing clocks twice per year.

[20][21] Opponents of the Sunshine Protection Act argue permanent standard time would be more beneficial to health and human welfare.

It is hypothesized closer harmony between standard time and biology contributes to safer morning commutes,[24][28] improved student welfare,[29][30] practicability of certain religious practices (such as in Orthodox Judaism and Islam),[31] increased exposure to healthy morning sunlight,[25] and higher productivity and wages.