BISMARCK - Whether or not young teens should be allowed to indoor tan prompted a 75-minute debate this morning during a legislative hearing.
House Bill 1154 seeks to prevent teens younger than 16 from using tanning salons.
Rep. George Keiser, the prime sponsor of the bill, said he submitted it at the request of local dermatologists concerned about too early exposure and skin cancer.
"They're coming forward and saying we have a concern about this and we would like it to be addressed," Keiser said.
The bill would also require permits from the state health department to operate tanning salons. Businesses would also have to give customers written notice of the dangers of not wearing eye protection, overexposure, premature aging, skin cancer and skin sensitivity.
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Heidi Heitkamp, a representative of the Indoor Tanning Association, said the association will urge a "do pass" on the bill if the age limit is changed.
The group promotes allowing teens ages 14 to 17 to use tanning salons if their parents sign a statement saying they have read the tanning facility's warnings.
The House Human Services Committee did not act on the bill.
