A Florida Senate committee is recommending that all of Florida be put in the same time zone and follow daylight-saving time throughout the year. Even if the proposal receives approval from the full Legislature, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Congress would both have to act for the changes to occur. All counties in the Panhandle west of the Apalachicola River are now in the Central time zone, while the rest of the state is in the Eastern time zone. The U.S. transportation secretary would have to initiate rulemaking to re-designate the portions of Florida currently within the Central time zone to the Eastern time zone and Congress would have to approve legislation to allow the state to remain under year-round daylight-saving time.
