Wisconsin Senate Bill SB165

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/27/25
• Refer: 3/27/25
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to repeal 175.095; to amend 125.32 (3) (a), 125.68 (4) (c) 1. and 990.001 (12) of the statutes; Relating to: eliminating daylight saving time in Wisconsin.

Summary

SB165 would eliminate daylight saving time in Wisconsin by repealing the statute that currently sets the annual spring-forward and fall-back schedule. The bill would replace references in state law that rely on daylight saving time with a framework based on standard time, and it would make conforming changes to alcohol-licensing closing-hour rules that currently treat the start of daylight saving time differently. Under the bill, Wisconsin would no longer shift clocks forward in March or back in November under state law. Instead, the state would operate on standard time year-round, consistent with the bill’s stated purpose of eliminating daylight saving time. The measure also updates the general statutory definition of “time” and removes the existing daylight saving time provision from the statutes.

Impact

The bill would repeal s. 175.095 and amend related provisions in chapters 125 and 990 so that state law no longer references the daylight saving time transition as the default time standard. In practical terms, this would affect statewide timekeeping rules, including business-hour restrictions for certain alcohol licensees that currently have special closing-hour treatment on the Sunday daylight saving time begins. The bill would take effect on the first January 1 after publication, but its operation would still be subject to federal law, which generally limits states’ ability to deviate from daylight saving time unless they observe standard time statewide.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill was introduced with support from a bipartisan group of cosponsors, indicating at least some interest in changing Wisconsin’s timekeeping rules. However, there is no recorded committee transcript or vote history showing debate, and the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1. Overall sentiment appears to have been mixed or insufficiently strong to advance the proposal, rather than clearly favorable or opposed in the available record.

Contention

The main point of contention is the policy choice to end daylight saving time and move Wisconsin to year-round standard time, which can raise concerns about federal preemption, interstate consistency, and the practical effects on daily schedules and commerce. Another likely issue is the bill’s impact on regulated businesses, especially alcohol-license holders whose permitted hours of operation are tied to the daylight saving time transition. Because there are no committee transcripts or votes, the specific arguments for or against the bill are not documented in the provided record.