SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1098        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 284

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act establishing a skin cancer and sun safety education program in public schools..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “cancer,”, in line 27, the following words: - “as to the detection and prevention of skin cancer,”.

SECTION 2.  Said section 1 of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph: -

“The department of education is hereby directed in collaboration with the department of public health, to establish a task force for the purpose of developing a model curriculum for grades kindergarten through twelve in skin cancer prevention that shall include (a) the basic facts about skin cancer, including the negative impact of human exposure to ultraviolet radiation obtained trough sunburns and tanning, and (b) a comprehensive set of strategies and behaviors to reduce the risk of contracting skin cancer.  Said curriculum shall include, but not be limited to, the skin cancer education and prevention policies and materials provided by the “Sunwise Program”, so called, of the Environmental Protection Agency.  A copy of said curriculum shall be sent to the superintendent of schools for each school district in the commonwealth.  The department shall encourage school districts to implement said curriculum or a variation thereof.