SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act
Sign the Letter. Take Action Today!
Team up with the Skin Cancer Foundation to advocate for access to new sunscreen ingredients to prevent skin cancer and save lives. Sign the letter of support and spread the word. As skin cancer rates continue to rise across the U.S., sunscreen innovation has been at a standstill for decades. With new, advanced sunscreen ingredients available in other markets around the world, status quo is NOT acceptable for the American public.
If passed, the key sunscreen reform provisions from the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act will:
- Ensure that the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) quickly approves new sunscreen ingredients, giving the public greater access to new and advanced ingredients to protect their skin and lower skin cancer risk.
- Reduce the FDA’s reliance on animal testing data, requiring the agency to establish clearer, more flexible standards for evaluating sunscreen ingredients
Timing: These key sunscreen reform provisions are up for consideration as part of the over-the-counter monograph user fee (OMUFA) reauthorization legislation, set to expire on September 30. The Senate HELP Committee unanimously passed the OMUFA reauthorization language that included the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act. This is great news! But in order for the sunscreen provisions to be included in the reauthorization package, the House of Representatives must also agree to include them in their version.
The House went to recess earlier than expected. Once they reconvene, we need members of the House to accept the Senate’s SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act provisions when they vote on the reauthorization package.
What You Can Do Now: Sign the letter of support and get tools to spread the word!
We need as many signatures as possible before September 2!
Background:
In June, 2025, the bipartisan SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act (H.R. 3686) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by co-chairs of the Congressional Skin Cancer Caucus, Representatives John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), a dermatologist and melanoma survivor, Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Deborah Ross (D-NC).
This bill aims to modernize the regulatory process for over-the-counter sunscreen ingredients, by quickening the approval of new and effective sunscreen options for sun protection and skin cancer prevention. While the bill was not included in the House version of the reauthorization package, the Senate HELP Committee voted unanimously to include the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act in their version of the package. This means that there is still hope for new sunscreen options for the American people.
With skin cancer cases on the rise, these sunscreen reform provisions are crucial:
- The estimated number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2025 is projected to increase by 5.9 percent.
- Exposure to UV radiation from the sun is a major cause of most skin cancers.
- 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
- Over 5 million Americans are treated for skin cancer each year at a cost of over $8 billion.
- More than 2 people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour.
In 2014, Congress passed the Sunscreen Innovation Act to establish a process for review and approval of active sunscreen ingredients. Nonetheless, it’s been more than 20 years since the FDA approved new sunscreen ingredients. This is unacceptable.
Sunscreen is an important component of a complete sun protection strategy for skin cancer prevention. While there are plenty of safe and effective sunscreens on the U.S. market, Americans deserve continued innovation in sun protection, to make it easier to find sunscreens that they like and will use daily. The key sunscreen provisions included in the Senate’s version of the OMUFA reauthorization package are a step in the right direction and helps us fight this battle against the world’s most common cancer.
Sign the Letter of Support
We Support the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act
The Honorable John Joyce, MD
The Honorable Debbie Dingell
The Honorable Dave Joyce
The Honorable Deborah Ross
United States Congress
Washington, District of Columbia
United States
Dear Members of Congress,
On June 3, 2025, consumers in America were given new hope for more safe, effective sunscreen options to prevent sun damage and skin cancer, with the introduction of H.R. 3686, the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act. Thank you for taking a leadership role to prevent skin cancer and save lives.
We strongly support your intended goal to streamline the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) review process for new sunscreen ingredients. Although the bill was not included in the House version of the over-the-counter monograph user fee (OMUFA) reauthorization, the Senate HELP Committee unanimously passed its OMUFA package that included the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act. If the House accepts the sunscreen provisions included in Senate version, it will be a significant step in providing more options for sun protection and skin cancer prevention that will ultimately save lives.
More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, and every hour, two people die from the disease. The good news is that skin cancer is highly preventable, with a complete sun protection strategy that includes daily sunscreen use.
Yet, as skin cancer rates continue to rise across the U.S., sunscreen innovation has been at a standstill for decades.
There is no better time than now for improved access to new safe and effective sunscreen options. We have gathered nearly 3,000 signatures from skin cancer survivors, warriors and advocates who urge representatives to agree to include the Senate's SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act provisions in the OMUFA reauthorization. Thank you for your commitment to skin cancer prevention and the health and safety of all Americans.
Sincerely,
The Skin Cancer Foundation