SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act

The SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act aims to revamp how the FDA evaluates nonprescription sunscreen ingredients used in topical products. It would create new evidence and testing standards (including the use of real-world evidence and non-animal testing methods) to determine safety and effectiveness for topical sunscreen actives, and would require the FDA to issue guidance on nonclinical testing alternatives within a year. The bill also directs the FDA to update its final administrative order on sunscreen actives to reflect historical safety data and the importance of broad-spectrum protection (SPF 15 or higher) in cancer prevention, all while tying these updates to the new standards. Finally, it imposes a formal reporting and transparency requirement, with periodic congressional reports and public posting. In short, the bill seeks to modernize and liberalize the evidentiary basis for sunscreen ingredients, promote non-animal testing, and enhance government reporting about sunscreen regulation.