CASPER, Wyo. — Time and again, another effort this year by state lawmakers to get Wyoming on one set time has failed in the state House.
This year’s bill, HB0246, was sponsored by Rep. Pepper Ottman (R), and on Tuesday, Feb. 7, it met the same fate as HB0071 in 2021. Both bills sought to end the annual “spring forward” and “fall back” switch between Mountain Standard Time and Mountain Daylight Time by making Mountain Standard Time the state’s sole time. HB0071 fell on the House Floor in March 2021. HB0246 died in committee on Tuesday.
Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill in 2020 that would have Wyoming observe Mountain Daylight Time year round. However, that law would only take effect if the United States Congress were to authorize states to observe Daylight Saving Time year round and if at least four states in the region were to enact similar legislation to stick to Mountain Daylight Time.
In 2022, the U.S. Senate approved the Sunshine Protection Act, making Daylight Saving Time permanent for all states, but the act has not advanced in the U.S. House.
