(BIVN) – During final reading in the Hawai‘i House and Senate, a bill was passed that bans the sale of certain sunscreens in order to preserve marine ecosystems.

Senate Bill 2571 SD2 HD2 CD1, if signed into law by Governor David Ige, “bans the sale, offer of sale, or distribution in the State of any sunscreen that contains oxybenzone or octinoxate, or both, without a prescription issued by a licensed healthcare provider to preserve marine ecosystems.” The law would go in effect beginning January 1, 2021.

The bill passed with 25 “ayes” in the senate. In the House, all voted yes, (Rep. Cachola voting aye with reservations) except for four lawmakers. Representatives Choy, Har, Kong, and McDermott voted “no”.

With the passage of SB 2571, Hawai‘i becomes “the first state in the nation to ban the sale of all sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, chemicals that scientific research has found to be toxic to coral,” the senate said. “The bill delays the effective date of the ban until January 1, 2021 to allow for the reformulation of sunscreen to prevent further increase of skin cancer in Hawai‘i. This measure is a step towards preserving the state’s marine ecosystem which is both an important cultural foundation and an economic asset.”