California Teen-Tanning Ban Is Law

California Teen-Tanning Ban Is Law

by Judie Bizzozero

The newly elected CITTO interim officers. Front row, from left to right: Bob Rogers, vice president; Craig Joyner, president; Rich Tong, secretary. Back row, from left to right: Rhonda Van Tassell, legislative/media liaison; Jeff Giordano, treasurer; Dirk Bohse, communications director.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 24 signed into law a bill that bans minors from using tanning salons in the state. It is now illegal for anyone under 14 years old to tan under any circumstances. The fine for each violation is as much as $2,500 per day. The law still allows 14- to 18-year-olds to tan indoors if a parental-consent form is signed.

Tanning industry professionals who opposed the legislation were surprised at the governor’s decision.

The newly formed California Indoor Tanning Trade Organization (CITTO) says Schwarzenegger has been targeted in the media recently for some of his legislative decisions. He could have been “willing to compromise on this particular bill in order to maybe do something that he felt was significantly more important in some other area,” Rhonda Van Tassell, CITTO’s legislative/media liaison, told LOOKING FIT®.

“Because the bill was completely gutted by the time it got to his desk, and because there is very little economic impact on us as a result of this, we feel like we still have achieved a significant victory in some way,” she says.

First introduced in February by Assemblyman Joe Nation, Assembly Bill 2193 aimed to make it illegal for anyone under 18 years old to tan without a doctor’s permission. While it passed in the Assembly, the Senate voted down the bill—but agreed to reconsider.

With that window of opportunity, Nation began working with individual senators to change their “no” votes to “yes,” according to the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA).

In the second time through the Senate, the bill was amended to lower the age to 14 and passed. The Assembly concurred within days, and the bill was sent to the governor for his signature. Under California law, Schwarzenegger had 30 days from the day the bill was presented to him (Sept. 8) to sign or veto. Even if he took no action, AB 2193 would have become law.

“I’m disappointed, I really am,” John Overstreet, executive director of the ITA, told LOOKING FIT. “There was every indication that he was going to veto the bill.”

Though disheartened, Overstreet says he’s proud of the way the California tanning community mobilized to fight the bill. From the early days of the legislation, salon owners banded together to write letters and call lawmakers, urging them to vote against AB 2193.

“These people who worked so hard and these businesses that put in so much effort deserve a tremendous amount of credit,” he says.

California Tanning Professionals Form State Organization

A group of indoor tanning professionals took a proactive approach to protect the rights of Californians to tan by forming the California Indoor Tanning Trade Organization (CITTO). The organizational meeting was held Sept. 13 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott and was attended by individuals representing more than 50 California tanning salons, industry vendors and trade magazines.

Tanning professionals previously had discussed forming a state organization; however, those discussions were accelerated with the introduction of AB 2193, which now makes it illegal for anyone under 14 years old to tan under any circumstances.

During the founding meeting, attendees agreed on the organization’s name, wrote a vision statement, elected temporary officers and discussed organizational goals, legal structure, membership criteria, membership privileges/benefits and dues.

The officers are:

• President—Craig Joyner, Sorrento Sun Center/Great Tan
• Vice President—Bob Rogers, Miami Tan
• Secretary—Rich Tong, U-CA-TAN
• Treasurer—Jeff Giordano, Summers Indoor Tanning
• Legislative/Media Liaison—Rhonda Van Tassell, Euro Pro Tanning
• Communications Director—Dirk Bohse, U-CA-TAN

The group held open and candid discussions about the state of the industry and the direction of the grassroots organization. Judie Bizzozero, group editorial director for LOOKING FIT® magazine, and Amy Thorlin, training director of the National Tanning Training Institute, were on hand to support the group’s efforts.

According to its vision statement, CITTO is the state organization representing, promoting and protecting the interests of California’s professional indoor tanning industry. Its goal is to encourage responsible tanning and to provide programs, informational support, media liaison and legislative representation for its statewide membership.

Membership is open to anyone or any company with an interest in the indoor tanning industry. Charter founding membership dues are $99 per salon location or business. The flat price is good through Dec. 31, 2005.

Members elected interim officers who will serve for six to nine months. The group also formed Membership, Legal, Financial and Programs committees. “There is strength in numbers, and it’s exciting to see leading professionals from all segments of the California indoor tanning industry come together to create CITTO,” says President Craig Joyner. “Many important goals can be accomplished when we have a critical mass to act as one unified group. Obviously legislative issues are very important, and we also see real value for our members in health insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, merchant card processing and many other areas.” CITTO encourages all of those with an interest in the indoor tanning industry to join the organization.

“California represents one of the largest economies in the nation, and the indoor tanning industry is part of that,” says Vice President Bob Rogers. “As an industry, we touch so many lives that we have to get the message out at the state level that we can make a difference. It is time for California salon owners to work together toward a common goal.”

For more information on becoming a member of CITTO, contact Michael Gaedeke, chairman of the Membership Committee. He can be reached at (818) 788-3700 or e-mailed at mhg@pacificsun.la. CITTO’s Web site, www.citto.org, is under construction. As of press time, the next meeting was tentatively scheduled for Oct. 18 in Sacramento. Please contact Gaedeke to find out more about future meetings and locations.