"For parents it would be pretty significant": Should daylight saving time become permanent?

The debate over changing the clocks twice a year is back in the spotlight after the U.S. House overwhelmingly passed the Sunshine Protection Act this week, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent.

At Baystate Clock in Brookline, Massachusetts, owner John Bain and his son have spent decades repairing and restoring antique clocks.

"It's intricate work, but we've been very successful," Bain explained, adding the biannual time changes bring a familiar wave of calls from customers needing help adjusting their clocks.

"We do get a lot of calls of time change. 'Can I go forward? Can I go back? I can't get it right,' so then the service calls come in. 'I broke the hand off the clock,' all that sort of thing," Bain said.

If the Sunshine Protection Act becomes law, those service calls could become less common. Supporters of the legislation say making daylight saving time permanent would encourage more active lifestyles and eliminate the twice-yearly disruption to children's sleep schedules.

For parent Nate Plater, avoiding those disruptions would be a welcome change.

"For parents it would be pretty significant. Twice a year my kids' sleep gets messed up. I would really appreciate to not have that two-week adjustment period where they get on a new time schedule that comes with crankiness and undesirable traits," Plater told WBZ.

"I think it's a silly thing, we do performatively twice a year," Plater added. "I'd rather start work in the dark and have longer in the afternoon when I'm actually home with my kids. Rather than it being dark in the evenings, it would be more preferable to me to have more time with my kids in the afternoon to throw a ball or do whatever."

Opponents argue permanent daylight saving time would mean later sunrises that could create challenges for farmers, early commuters, and school children while also carrying economic consequences.

Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean voiced support for permanent standard time instead. Arizona and Hawaii observe standard time year-round.

"Early morning light is an important environmental cue to set our body's internal clocks and promote alertness. And dim evening light tells our bodies that it is time to sleep. Permanent standard time is a healthier choice," Dean said.

The bill still must pass the U.S. Senate before it could reach President Donald Trump's desk. President Trump is backing the proposal, which would allow states the option of opting out.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey also weighed in on the renewed debate. "Who doesn't want a little more sunshine, right," Healey told WBZ. "We'll see how that goes I guess."

In 2022, the Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act via unanimous consent, but the proposal was never brought up for a vote in the House before that Congress concluded.