News
Melanoma Survivor: Give Indoor Tanning Bill the Hearing It Deserves
March 12, 2018
PHOENIX – With end-of-session deadlines looming, Arizonan cancer survivors will gather at the Capitol on Tuesday to demand a hearing for a bill that would protect children from unnecessary exposure to harmful UV radiation.
HB 2084, which would prohibit minors from using tanning devices and allow Arizona to join 15 other states with similarly comprehensive laws, is assigned to two Senate committees. The bill has until the end of Tuesday to make its way onto the Commerce and Public Safety Committee agenda, and it must be added to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee agenda by March 15.
“This is Arizona’s last chance in 2018 to make a no-brainer decision that could save a life,” said District 15 resident and melanoma survivor Jennifer Barney. “The Legislature had the opportunity to pass this bill last year, and we’re not going to stand idly by and watch HB 2084 die without a fight.”
“It’s truly a shame this life-saving bill is up against two deadlines to get a hearing when it received such strong bipartisan support in the House — the vote was 45-15,” said ACS CAN Arizona Government Relations Director Brian Hummell. “HB 2084 is more than deserving of a committee hearing. We will continue working with legislators until the state has the laws needed to lessen the burden of cancer, and HB 2084 is chief among those policies.”
Melanoma is the fifth most-common type of cancer in Arizona, and research shows people who use tanning devices before age 35 increase their risk for developing melanoma by 59 percent. Additionally, the effects of ultraviolet exposure are cumulative, meaning the earlier someone starts tanning the more likely they are to develop a potentially deadly skin cancer.
WHO:
Jennifer Barney, melanoma survivor
Rep. Heather Carter-District 15, HB 2084 bill sponsor
WHAT:
Senate committee hearing ask for HB 2084
WHERE:
Arizona State Capitol – Rose Garden
WHEN:
Tuesday, March 13 from 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
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