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Assembly committee advances bill to allow students to carry sunscreen and sun-protective clothing in school
Summary
The Assembly Education Committee voted to release A1028, which would require districts to adopt policies allowing student possession and use of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing; committee amendments permit schools to require written parental permission and clarify that staff are not required to apply sunscreen.
The Assembly Education Committee on an unspecified date advanced Assembly bill A1028, a measure that would require school districts to adopt policies governing student possession and use of sunscreen and sun‑protective clothing at school and school‑sponsored events. Committee amendments would allow districts to require written permission from a parent or guardian for a student to carry or use sunscreen and explicitly state that school personnel are not required to assist students in applying sunscreen.
Erica Tweeden, a dermatology resident at Cooper University Hospital, testified on behalf of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, saying restrictive medication policies and physician‑note requirements reduce access to sun protection. "Only 10% of students nationwide reported regular use of sunscreen, and regular use of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50%, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation," Tweeden said, adding that childhood blistering sunburns and cumulative exposure raise lifetime cancer risk. She told the committee the bill would create a consistent statewide policy to ensure access to over‑the‑counter sunscreen without additional cost to the State and would not obligate schools to provide sunscreen or to have staff apply it.
Support for the bill was entered on the record from groups including the Athletic Trainer Society of New Jersey, the New Jersey School Boards Association, the Garden State Coalition of Schools, and the New Jersey State Nurses Association. After brief committee remarks and questions, members voted on a motion to amend and release A1028. The clerk recorded affirmative votes by the members present and announced that A1028 "moves on" from committee.
The committee did not record any amendments changing the bill's core text beyond the clarifications about parental permission and staff assistance; no fiscal note or implementation timeline was included in the hearing record. The bill will proceed to the next legislative step in the Assembly's process.
