Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. (2) More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the United States than all other cancers combined. (3) The United States Surgeon General issued a Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer in 2014 based on finding that nearly 5,000,000 Americans are treated for skin cancer each year at a cost that exceeds $8,100,000,000. (4) It is estimated that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2024 will increase by 7.3 percent, with an estimated 200,340 cases of melanoma diagnosed. (5) Skin cancer is a deadly disease, and it is expected that there will be 8,290 deaths from melanoma in 2024. (6) Skin cancer affects individuals of all ages, and melanoma is one of the most common cancers in young adults. (7) In the United States, more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day and more than 2 people die of the disease every hour. (8) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 out of 5 cases of skin cancer can be prevented by adopting sun-safe practices. (9) According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ultraviolet (UV) Index in the United States continues to rise, increasing the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers for Americans. (10) The EPA recommends Americans Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against the risks of a rising UV Index. (11) Congress unanimously passed the Sunscreen Innovation Act in 2014 to streamline the approval process for sunscreen active ingredients to improve access to new sunscreens, but no new sunscreen active ingredients have been approved through the Food and Drug Administration’s over-the-counter approval process since 1999.