News out of Dover, Mass., reveals the region is one step closer to outlawing indoor tanning for patrons under the age of 16. S2339 and H4884 represent two different bills – one in the Senate and one in the House – but both with the same goal: to prevent teens from tanning indoors. In the legislation, customers ages 16 and 17 could continue to use the services of a professional salon, but only with parental consent.
Both measures have been approved; however, no progress has been made in terms of selecting which version of the bill will go on. Once that's determined, the bill goes to Gov. Deval Patrick for final endorsement.
Proponents of the bills believe it’s the state’s responsibility to intervene in this matter, rather than allowing parents to make decisions regarding their children’s tanning habits. The emotional testimony of a former teen tanner (who has since passed away) was presented to lawmakers in conjunction with the push for the House bill.
