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.
Copyright 2015 Northwest News Network