House Passes Bill to Update Sunscreen Review Process

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that will streamline the process for reviewing and approving ingredients in sunscreen products.

The Sunscreen Innovation Act (H.R. 4250) was created in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration and is the first major update to the review process since the 1990s.

The act won’t change the level of scientific review required for FDA approval, only some of the procedural steps that can draw out the review process.

If it becomes a law, the Sunscreen Innovation Act would only apply to sunscreen products that have been marketed outside the U.S. for at least five years. Most of the ingredients pending approvals could have their reviews completed within the following year, according to the American Cancer Society, whose advocacy wing the Cancer Action Network supports the bill.

“Educating people about good sun safety behaviors is only half of the story,” ACS CAN President Chris Hansen said in a statement. “American consumers should have access to the broadest choice of sunscreens — including those in use for years in other countries — once they are shown to be safe and effective.”