RI House Of Reps Approves Bill To Allow Sunscreen In Schools

PROVIDENCE, RI — A bill that would allow Rhode Island students to carry and use sunscreen in schools advanced this week when it was approved by the House of Representatives. The bill, which has been approved by the chamber each year since 2017, is sponsored by Rep. David Bennett, a school nurse.

"The dangers of unprotected sun exposure are well-known," Rep. Bennett said. "Kids, in particular, need protection both because their skin is more delicate and because even one bad sunburn as a child vastly increases a person’s chances of getting skin cancer."

Under the current law, students can come to school wearing sunscreen, but cannot bring more with them to reapply later. This goes against the recommendations of most sunscreens, which calls for reapplication every two hours, after swimming or sweating.

"We are really throwing the baby out with the bathwater if we are telling kids they can’t have sunscreen in school because of a medication policy that’s supposed to be protecting their health," the Cranston Democrat said. "Schools send kids outside for recess every day. Some have a field day in June, when the kids are out in the sun all day long. Of course those kids should be able to have sunscreen and reapply it. This is common-sense legislation."

The current state law forbids anyone in a school from administering medications, which includes substances approved by the Food and Drug Administration including sunscreen.

If approved, the new law would require a permission note signed by a parent or guardian for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and that school employees would not be allowed to help a student apply sunscreen. Schools would not be held responsible for any sunscreen-related damages, the bill further stipulates.

According to the Personal Care Products Council, similar laws have been approved in 12 other states, while 15 others are considering them. Bennett's bill now heads to the Senate, where companion legislation was introduced by Senator Joshua Miller.

"There’s no question that it’s safer for kids to put on sunscreen when they go outside. I know a lot of parents are really careful to slather it all over their kids all the time, but then they send them to school where they aren’t even allowed to have it," Bennett said. "That’s unsafe and it sends kids a conflicting message about the very real danger of unprotected sun exposure. Instead, we should be telling them, ‘Listen to your mom. Wear sunscreen.'"