SALT LAKE CITY — A bill to ban minors from using tanning beds even with a parent’s consent is getting another chance in the Utah Legislature.
Sponsor Rep. Brad Daw, R-Orem, successfully revived his bill Thursday after it initially failed in a vote on the House floor in the early days of the 2020 session. Daw spent the ensuing weeks wrangling votes by convincing enough GOP lawmakers who had been concerned about governments overstepping into parental rights to change their minds — and Thursday he got enough.
The House voted 41-31 to pass HB34 and advance it to the Senate.
An earlier version of the bill would have also prohibited minors from using tanning beds even with a doctor’s note, but a new version of the bill Daw presented Thursday struck that provision.
Several Republican legislators who originally voted against Daw’s bill spoke in support of the revised measure, saying they changed their minds about whether it was a debate about government control and parental rights. Rather, those lawmakers agreed protecting children from skin cancer was more important.
“As a skin cancer survivor myself, I know how damaging particularly cancer can be, and I would hate for parents to realize several years down the road that they could have protected their children from this harmful activity,” Rep. Jon Hawkins, R-Pleasant Grove, said.
But other lawmakers remained firm on their belief the bill would overstep into a parent’s responsibility. They also worried it would be difficult or impossible to reinforce.
“If we pass this bill, are we going to send around some sun patrol?” said Rep. Tim Quinn, R-Heber City. “I doubt that.”
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.