Last Friday, the California State Assembly passed bill SB 1249, a bill that would make the sale of beauty products tested on animals illegal by January 1, 2020. California is the first state in the U.S. to pass an anti-animal testing bill. If the bill is signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, it will mean sweeping changing for the cosmetics industry in California–and represent a significant victory for animal rights’ activists (and hopefully the start of a cruelty-free trend!). The law would apply to all beauty products (from makeup to shampoo to deodorant) currently sold in California as well as new products to hit the market.
The bill was introduced by California Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D) and states, “Notwithstanding any other law, it is unlawful for a manufacturer to import for profit, sell, or offer for sale in this state, any cosmetic, if the cosmetic was developed or manufactured using an animal test that was conducted or contracted by the manufacturer, or any supplier of the manufacturer, on or after January 1, 2020.”
In a press conference last month, Galgiani explained, “While a similar measure in Congress, The Humane Cosmetics Act, has not moved, we are doing what we have normally done when Congress does not act, and that is for California to move forward and lead the way,” she said. “At some point we need to be committed to a truly ‘cruelty-free standard’ for all cosmetics sold in California. And I believe SB 1249 brings the right balance to this important goal.”
Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation, supports the bill and argues that it’s a win for shoppers, business, and, of course, animals: “The California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act would save thousands of animals’ lives each year while making cosmetics safer for humans … This policy is tried and true, as the European Union implemented a similar law over five years ago and the sky didn’t fall. Animals have been saved while companies have flourished and grown without cruelty as part of their business model.”
As most of us committed to a cruelty-free lifestyle have discovered, finding truly cruelty-free products is more complicated than it may seem initially, especially when third-party suppliers (who may or may not test on animals) and parent companies are thrown into the mix. Sen. Galgiani says that amendments to the bill help address this:
“Given that most manufacturers do not directly conduct tests on animals, recently accepted amendments now focus the legislation on manufacturers and their suppliers, including third parties who may test on behalf of manufacturers or their suppliers. Keeping animal testing out of the supply chain is the same standard that many ‘cruelty-free’ companies employ.”
We applaud senator Senator Cathleen Galgiani and those who have helped the bill pass. We sincerely hope it becomes a law and spurs a nation-wide trend.
We applaud senator Senator Cathleen Galgiani and those who have helped the bill pass. We sincerely hope it becomes a law and spurs a nation-wide trend.
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