RI Lawmakers Allow Kids To Bring Sunscreen To Schools

PROVIDENCE, RI — Starting this fall, students in Rhode Island schools will have the option to bring sunscreen to school, thanks to new legislation approved by lawmakers at the end of the session.

The bill exempts sunscreen from rules surrounding medications in schools, which can only be administered by the school nurse. Under the bill, both students and teachers can have and apply sunscreen without the need for a doctor's note or a visit to the nurse's office.

Under the current law, students can wear sunscreen to school, but cannot bring it with them to reapply. Most sunscreens, however, recommend reapplying after two hours.

The bill, now headed to Gov. Dan McKee's desk to be signed into law, has been introduced in the General Assembly by sponsors Rep. David Bennett and Sen. Joshua Miller each year since 2017.

The bill, which now goes to the governor, has been introduced by Representative Bennett and Senator Miller every year since 2017.

"The dangers of unprotected sun exposure are well-known," 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. 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."

Bennett called the bill "common-sense legislation," saying that regular sunscreen use has long been recommended as best practice by health officials.

"There is absolutely no question that it’s safer for kids to wear sunscreen when they go outside, and generally speaking, there’s no way to abuse it," Miller said "Kids are taught in health class about the importance of wearing sunscreen, so it’s sending them a confusing message if they’re not allowed to reapply it according to the directions if they need to at school. It’s about time we fixed this incongruity and let kids possess and reapply a safe product that protects them from painful sunburns and potentially cancer."

Along with allowing kids to have sunscreen, the bill also encourages schools to teach students about the importance of sun safety. Student in kindergarten through fifth grade will need to have a note from their parent or guardian giving permission to have sunscreen.

When the bill becomes law, Rhode Island will join 25 states and the District of Columbia in adopting such legislation.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a single blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.