Vermont lawmakers fight to lift ban on sunscreen in schools

Two state Vermont state Senators are fighting to lift a ban on kids bringing sunscreen to school.

Bill S.187, which would allow students to use the protectant lotion without guardian supervision, was heard on the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare Friday.

“Who can oppose applying sunscreen,” testified Colin Robinson, political director of the Vermont National Education Association, VTDigger reported.

Because the FDA classifies it as an over-the-counter drug, sunscreen is heavily regulated across the country.

It is considered a drug “because it makes a drug claim – to help prevent sunburn or to decrease the risks of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun,” according to the federal agency.

In Vermont, kids are required to bring a doctor’s note to school if they want to use sunscreen, which they are then required to apply in the nurse’s office.

The proposed legislation would “permit students, with the written authorization of a parent or guardian, to possess and self-administer a topical, nonaerosolized sunscreen while on school property … without being required to provide a medical provider’s note or prescription.”

The bill also states that while schools could adopt their own policies to allow staff to help students apply sunscreen, those personnel would not be responsible for ensuring that the action was completed.

The legislation offers immunity for schools and staff from civil liability relating to the sunblock application.

“This seems like a no-brainer,” the bill’s author Sen. Ginny Lyons told VTDigger. 

If it passes the bill, Vermont would follow in the same footsteps are Washington DC and 27 other states that have declared permission for students to use sunscreen in schools.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee is planning to vote on the bill next week.