A new bill (House Bill 1259) passed by North Dakota lawmakers would keep the state on standard time all year, meaning no more changing clocks in the spring and fall.
At first glance, this may seem like an exciting change, many people dislike the twice-a-year time shift that throws off their routines and makes it harder to get kids (and themselves) back on track. However, staying on standard time year-round would come at a cost: losing one of North Dakota’s greatest assets, sunlight.
Without “springing forward” into daylight saving time, summer evenings would end an hour earlier, cutting short the long, light-filled nights many North Dakotans enjoy.
The bill says both Central and Mountain time zones in the state would stay on standard time permanently. It follows a federal rule that allows states to opt out of daylight saving time.
This change wouldn’t affect things like train schedules or federal operations that follow national time rules. The bill also removes an old state law about daylight saving time.
You can learn more about this legislation here: https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/bill-overview/bo1259.html?bill_year=2025&bill_number=1259
