LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas lawmakers said a Daylight Savings Time bill filed this week could get bipartisan support.

The legislation filed by State Rep. Johnny Rye on Tuesday would make Daylight Saving Time permanent if the federal government chose to make that decision.

“Children are actually having trouble adjusting their lives to this in certain cases,” Rye said.

Other Southern states have passed similar measures, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama.

“You’re not doing anything except putting yourself in the same position as states around you until something like this does occur,” Rye said.

State Rep. Andrew Collins said this will be controversial, but he thinks it could gain bipartisan support.

“I think there will be people who will disagree with something like this,” Collins said. “The least controversial part, to me, is moving to one standard form of time.”

Collins said constituents have reached out to him to express support for this measure.

“Moving the clocks forward, moving the clocks back is disruptive,” Collins said. “It’s difficult for people like me who have small children.”

The general session begins next month.