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The Humane Cosmetics Act. Will the U.S. Finally Ban Animal Testing for Cosmetics?

In a newly issued statement, the Humane Society of the United States underlined the re-introduction of H.R. 2790, or the Humane Cosmetics Act, to the U.S. Congress. The bill would ban, with certain exceptions, the testing of animals for cosmetic products and ingredients in the United States and prohibit the import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals anywhere else in the world. 

The Humane Cosmetics Act. Will the U.S. Finally Ban Animal Testing for Cosmetics? 1

Cosmetics tests on animals are not only unnecessary and ineffective, they also involve serious animal suffering. Animals used in these tests have substances forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes, or smeared onto their skin, and they are left to suffer for days or weeks without pain relief.

These tests are not predictive of the human experience, are painful to animals, and are unnecessary – there are many alternative methods to ensure that products are safe for human use. Nearly 600 cosmetic companies already use alternatives to animal testing, this legislation would build on that progress by expediting the consideration of other reliable testing alternatives. The growing number of proven, non-animal tests are becoming available every year.

The Humane Cosmetics Act. Bill to end animal testing for cosmetics introduced in Congress 

The Humane Cosmetics Act would phase out the sale of any cosmetic products developed using animal testing and make it unlawful to conduct cosmetic animal testing in the U.S. Sadly this bill has been reintroduced many times without passing.

“It’s long past time to end cosmetics animal testing in the U.S. Not only is this practice inhumane, but it is also ineffective and costly,”   Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ) said. “Companies across the U.S. now successfully use alternative methods of testing that more accurately predict the effect of cosmetics on humans.

Specifically, The Humane Cosmetics Act bill would:

  • make it unlawful to knowingly conduct or contract for cosmetic animal testing that occurs in the United States beginning one year after the law is enacted, and
  • make it unlawful to sell or knowingly transport any cosmetic products in the U.S. that were developed using cosmetic animal testing ordered by any person in the product’s supply chain starting one year after the law is enacted.

Exceptions to this law include special safety concerns as approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, foreign requirements, drugs used in cosmetics products, and dual-use ingredients.

Here’s some of The Humane Cosmetics Act exceptions:

i) There is no non-animal alternative method or strategy recognized by any Federal agency or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for the relevant safety endpoints for the cos8 metic ingredient or non-functional constituent;

(iii) the cosmetic ingredient or non functional constituent is in wide use and, in the case of a cosmetic ingredient, cannot be replaced by another cosmetic ingredient capable of performing a similar function; (B) publication by the Secretary of the written finding required by subparagraph (A) on the internet website of the Food and Drug Administration together with a notice that the Secretary intends to request, require, or conduct new animal testing, and provides a period 5 TAM19H02 S.L.C. JV0 VR 16V of not less than 60 calendar days for public comment; and 3 (C) a written determination by the Secretary, after review of all public comments

Sounds like a lot of loopholes to me. And exactly who’s going to enforce this?

In addition to any other penalties applicable under law, the Secretary shall assess whoever violates any provision of this section a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each such violation. Wow! That’s a drop in bucket for many of these multinational corporations that do testing outside the USA but sell their products in the USA as well.

Starting January 2020,laws banning the sales of cosmetics newly tested on animals takes place in California, Nevada and Illinois.

This law, if passed, is good beginning. MY hope would be there would be hard fast rules about imports of products tested on animals with very large penalties attached for breaking said rules..Much more than a slap on the wrist. Until then stay vigilant about your purchases. Your purchase is a vote for cruelty or not.

The Humane Cosmetics Act. Will the U.S. Finally Ban Animal Testing for Cosmetics? 2

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