A bill introduced Friday by Sens. Christopher Dodd and Jack Reed would force the FDA to publish the long-delayed rules that require sunscreens to protect against rays that can cause skin cancer and wrinkles. The agency first announced plans for the rules in 1978.

Most sunscreens effectively block the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn, called UVB rays. However, many do not defend against UVA rays, which cause tanning but have also been linked to melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

The FDA last August finally unveiled proposed guidelines that would require sunscreen manufacturers to test their products against UVA rays and detail that level of protection on their labels. At the time, the FDA said it would gather public comments on the proposals before making them binding.

However, the agency is not moving fast enough for some Democrats in Congress.

"Most Americans probably assume their sunscreen protects them from the harmful rays that cause skin cancer," Rhode Island's Reed said in a statement. "But unfortunately, with many products, that isn't the case."

The bill from Reed, who sits on the Senate's Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, and Dodd would require the FDA to publish the official guidelines within six months of its enactment. However, under current FDA regulations, the rules would not become binding for another 18 months after they are released.

Reed and Connecticut's Dodd, who is chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, have sent the FDA multiple letters in the past two years urging the agency to finalize the sunscreen rules.

An agency spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the bill Friday afternoon.

Schering-Plough Corp., which makes the popular Coppertone brand sunscreen, said all its products protect against both UVA and UVB rays, and are routinely tested by independent scientists.

Other manufacturers include Johnson & Johnson, whose Neutrogena Sunblock products' labels also claim to protect against both types of ultraviolet rays. Calls placed to the company were not immediately returned.

This year more than 1 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed, with over 8,000 of them fatal, according to the National Cancer Institute. Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be

Copyright 2008 AFX News Limited. All Rights Reserved.