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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10527 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10527

To direct the National Park Service to pursue options for the provision 
of mineral-based, broad-spectrum sunscreen or other protective methods 
                  at low or no cost in national parks.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2024

  Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Mr. Lawler) introduced the following 
     bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To direct the National Park Service to pursue options for the provision 
of mineral-based, broad-spectrum sunscreen or other protective methods 
                  at low or no cost in national parks.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sunscreen in Parks Findings Act'' or 
the ``SPF Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 
        approximately 100,640 new cases of skin melanomas and 8,290 
        related deaths from skin cancer in the United States in 2024.
            (2) People of all skin colors are at risk for skin cancer, 
        skin aging, and sunburn from spending time in the sun.
            (3) Sunscreen is most effective at protecting against skin 
        cancer rates when paired with other protective methods, 
        including--
                    (A) limiting time in the sun, specifically when 
                rays are most intense; and
                    (B) wearing protective clothing to cover exposed 
                skin.
            (4) The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to 
        evaluate the safety and efficacy of sunscreen products. 
        According to the FDA, only broad-spectrum sunscreens with a sun 
        protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 help to protect from 
        skin cancer and early aging.
            (5) The National Park Service recommends that visitors 
        apply nonnanotized, mineral-based sunscreens, which provide 
        strong sun protection with few health concerns.
            (6) According to the 2020 National Center for Health 
        Statistics National Health Interview Survey, about 69 percent 
        of Americans used sunscreen at least occasionally in 2020, up 
        from 60 percent in 2000.
            (7) A 2022 American Academy of Dermatology survey found 
        that many United States adults have room for improvement in 
        terms of sun protection and found the following:
                    (A) 67 percent incorrectly believed that SPF 30 
                sunscreen offers twice as much protection as SPF 15 
                sunscreen.
                    (B) 65 percent said they often forget to reapply 
                sunscreen.
                    (C) 43 percent were unaware that shade protects a 
                person from ultraviolet (UV) rays.
            (8) Some States, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, and 
        Rhode Island, have provided free sunscreen stations for 
        visitors to State parks.
            (9) A 2022 George Mason University report to the National 
        Park Service recommends that ``national parks stock sunscreen 
        and sun-protective UPF clothing in prominent displays with 
        signage on recommended sun protection behaviors''.

SEC. 3. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Park Service shall 
provide to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives a report outlining options for the provision of 
mineral-based, broad-spectrum sunscreen and other sun protection 
methods at low or no cost in national parks, including but not limited 
to--
            (1) public-private partnerships;
            (2) partnerships with nonprofit organizations;
            (3) unobligated funding within the National Park Service 
        budget; and
            (4) any other option that could support the provision of 
        free mineral-based sunscreen and other low-cost protective 
        methods to park visitors.
    (b) Content of Report.--The report required under subsection (a) 
shall address topics including but not limited to--
            (1) the potential environmental impacts of any sunscreen 
        provided in the national parks;
            (2) the equitable usability of sunscreen provided for park 
        visitors, specifically the ability of sunscreen to blend with 
        all skin tones; and
            (3) a plan for increasing awareness in the parks regarding 
        the importance of sun protection to prevent skin damage and 
        skin cancer.
    (c) Legislative Recommendations.--The report required under 
subsection (a) shall include recommendations for measures that Congress 
can take to support the effort for the National Park Service to 
increase options for sun protection in national parks.
                                 <all>
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