California lawmakers have unanimously approved Senate Bill 1249, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, sending the bill to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for his signature.
Authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani and co-sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, SB 1249 would make it unlawful for cosmetic manufacturers to sell any cosmetic in California if the final product or any component of the product was knowingly tested on animals after January 1, 2020, with some exceptions for regulatory requirements.
Following the votes, Senator Galgiani said: “I’m proud of California lawmakers for moving science, industry, and ethics forward today. Cruelty-free cosmetics are good for business, safe for humans, and don’t harm animals.”
“Passing 1249 will alter testing practices across the globe,” said Kristie Sullivan, M.P.H., vice president of research policy for the Physicians Committee. “The use of non-animal testing methods available today will surge, encouraging the development of even more human-relevant testing methods—methods that are applicable to safety testing beyond the area of cosmetics.”
The European Union, Switzerland, India, Israel and Guatemala have all banned or restricted animal testing on cosmetics.
