Proposed Humane Cosmetics Act Would End Animal Testing in the US

Congressman Jim Moran, a Democrat representing Northern Virginia, has introduced the bill H.R. 4148, the Humane Cosmetics Act. If passed, this bill would prohibit animal testing in the U.S. cosmetics industry and phase out the sale of cosmetics tested on animals in other countries.

“The U.S. can and should phase out the use of animals in cosmetic safety testing.  Not only are animal-based tests fundamentally inhumane, they also rely on outmoded science that can fail to accurately predict safety for humans. This legislation would encourage the use of testing alternatives that are more effective and cheaper to conduct, helping the American cosmetic industry remain the dominant, and humane, leader in the global cosmetics market.” – Representative Jim Moran

According to the Humane Society of the United States, if passed, the Humane Cosmetics Act, H.R. 4148, would:

• Make it unlawful for anyone to conduct or commission cosmetic animal testing in the U.S.
• Prohibit selling, offering for sale or transporting any cosmetics in interstate commerce if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using animal testing.

The full text of the bill is not yet available, so an official summary about what this bill would do is not yet available. Once it becomes available online, I will be sharing the link in this post, on social media, and creating a news update. I think it’s very important that everyone be an educated consumer and have a full understanding of what these bills include.

Moran currently has the support of the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, and Cruelty-Free International. Logical Harmony is also happy to support any bill that would mean a reduction or elimination in animal testing practices. I will be eagerly awaiting the full text of the Humane Cosmetics Act so that I can gain a better understanding of what it would mean for the future of animal testing.

This bill was introduced to committee on March 5, 2014. It’s currently at the same stage as another bill that would require animal testing for cosmetics in the United States, the Safe Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Act. The SCPCPA act has the ultimate goal of making cosmetics safer and introducing better animal testing alternatives. However, it would require animal testing and increase animal testing for several years before this would go into effect.

With two conflicting bills currently at the same stage of review, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for both. Logical Harmony will be keeping up to date on both proposals and updating readers on any changes.