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Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Oregon Legislature. This is a venue for political and policy coverage of the state government in Salem and its impact on the people of Oregon.

Oregon Lawmakers To Schools: Let Kids Use Sunscreen

Joe Shlabotnik
/
Flickr
Some Oregon school districts currently don't allow kids to use sunscreen because it's considered an over-the-counter drug.

Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes more opportunities to be outside. Oregon lawmakers want children to slather on the sunscreen when they hit the playground.

One problem: Some Oregon school districts don't allow kids to use sunscreen because it's considered an over-the-counter drug. The Oregon House approved a measure Wednesday to require schools to permit students to use sunscreen.

Democratic Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer is one of the bill's sponsors. She admited not all of her constituents think it's a pressing matter.

"On my Facebook page, there were a lot of people that said 'Why are you bothering to spend time passing these kinds of bills?’" she said.

But Keny-Guyer said she and two siblings have had skin cancer and her mother died from it. She said any policy that makes it easier to protect children from harmful UV rays is worth lawmakers' attention.

The bill passed the House without opposition and now heads to the Oregon Senate.