This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A bill that would require minors using tanning beds to be accompanied by a parent moved a step closer to passage Tuesday despite threats from a Republican to change the measure when it has its final floor vote Wednesday.
Sen. Pat Jones, D-Holladay, proposed SB41 as a way to more tightly regulate tanning salons by requiring parents with minors to read about the health risks that come with a tanning session at a salon.
"If we do it for tattoos and we do it for body piercings, why shouldn't we be doing this for tanning, which is much more dangerous than possible infections from body piercings and tattoos," Jones said.
But its fate was far from certain, as the Senate agreed to let it be heard again by an 18-8 vote — despite a threat from Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, that he would offer a different version of the bill when it came up again.
Stephenson, who is a melanoma survivor, said he was sympathetic to the measure's intent and said that he believes in 20 years tanning beds will be considered a bigger health risk than cigarettes.
"I think we're experiencing a similar thing today," Stephenson said. "We don't really believe yet that sun exposure or the intensity [of tanning beds] are all serious health hazards."
The bill also targets adults who would use the facilities, giving broad discretion to county health departments to require additional permits for the salons to operate and it requires extra signs explaining safety precautions and risks that come with tanning.
Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, said he vacillated on the bill and finally decided to support it when he considered that for R-rated movies, the sign clearly says the minor must be accompanied by an adult. He said if there was legislation requiring parental accompaniment to see such a film, he'd have a hard time opposing it.
"Would I vote for that?" he said. "I probably would."
But Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, said he didn't buy Niederhauser's movie analogy. Even though he voted in favor of the bill, he said that unless there were some changes to the legislation, he would likely not support it in its current form in a final vote.
dmontero@sltrib.comTwitter: @davemontero