Senate Bill 349, which would regulate the state’s tanning facilities and set age limits for who can use them, passed the state Senate by a vote of 48-1 on Oct. 31, 2011. The bill now goes to the House Health Committee for consideration.
SB 349, which the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) supports, would prohibit children younger than 14 from using a tanning device without a letter from a physician. It would require parents to accompany 14- to 18-year-olds to the tanning facility and sign written permission each time they use a tanning device. The bill also would require tanning facilities to:
- Have a license
- Undergo inspections
- Post signs warning of the hazards of ultraviolet rays
- Have customers sign a warning statement
- Report injuries to the state
- Train operators of tanning beds
Contact your state representative and ask for their support of this bill.
While the previous version of the bill died in the House during the last legislative session, it was reintroduced by Sen. Pat Browne (R-Lehigh).
Though there is a similar bill in the House (HB 369), PAMED believes SB 349 is more likely to be the ultimate vehicle for regulation tanning salons.
More than 10 years ago, Pennsylvania physicians first took up the fight to regulate tanning facilities. Since then, many states—including neighboring Maryland, Ohio, and New York—have regulated these facilities and established age restrictions. But Pennsylvania’s tanning facilities are still unregulated.
PAMED and the Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery believe that this proposed legislation is a good start to regulate indoor tanning facilities, although more work would need to be done to completely protect minors from the harmful effects of UV light.