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Florida may have daylight-saving time year round

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (The News Service) - Floridians will change their clocks this Sunday.

But that could become a thing of the past under a proposal that cleared the legislature this week.

The Senate voted 33-to-2 to give final approval to a measure intended to eventually keep Florida on daylight-saving time throughout the year.

The next stop is the desk of Governor Rick Scott, whose office said he will review the proposal after formally receiving it.

If Scott signs the bill, Congress would ultimately be responsible for approving the proposed change.

Bill Sponsor Greg Steube says the idea of year-round daylight-saving time will help the state's tourism industry, as people would be able to stay out later with the additional sunlight.

"Once we move the clocks forward in March, if then Congress amends the US code to allow states to opt into Daylight Saving Time, then when we move the clocks forward in March," Steube said. "We would stay in Daylight Saving Time."

Hawaii and most of Arizona currently don't participate in switching from standard time to daylight-saving time and back.

They stay on standard time throughout the year. Daylight-saving time will start Sunday this year and end Nov. 4.