The Senate Committee on State Affairs heard House Bill 1393, a measure that would keep Texas on daylight saving time year‑round pending federal authorization, but senators left the bill pending after hearing pro and con testimony.

Supporters told the committee the change would reduce confusion from biannual clock changes and benefit health, safety and commerce. "Adopting daylight savings time on a permanent basis can benefit Texans and travel and tourism businesses across the state in many ways," said Erica Boyd, president and CEO of the Texas Travel Alliance. Boyd told senators the travel industry had a roughly $193,000,000,000 impact on the Texas economy in 2023 and generated about $9,000,000,000 in state and local tax revenue.

Opponents said permanent daylight saving time would push sunrise later in winter and harm schoolchildren and families who must begin activities early. "Daylight Saving Time, simply put, is a mandate to wake early," said JP, president of Safe Standard Time and co‑chair of the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time, who urged senators to adopt permanent standard time instead. Martha Metcalfe Hobbletsil, who said she represents about 21,000 Texans, told the committee parents of bus‑riding students oppose the bill because it would put children on the roads in darkness.

The bill sponsor, Senator Bettancourt, said studies have linked time changes to sleep and health problems and cited 18 states that have passed trigger legislation to move to permanent daylight saving time if federal law allows it. He noted federal law currently permits states to opt out of daylight saving time (remaining on standard time) but not to adopt daylight saving time year‑round without congressional authorization.

Committee members asked witnesses about health, commerce and safety tradeoffs. No vote was taken; the chair opened and then closed public testimony and left HB 1393 pending.

Public testimony: invited and public witnesses included Erica Boyd (Texas Travel Alliance); Martha Metcalfe Hobbletsil (opponent, public witness); JP (Safe Standard Time, opponent); and Josh Findlay (opponent).