Bill Text: NJ AR157 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress to enact "Humane Cosmetics Act."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-05-07 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee [AR157 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-AR157-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress to enact "Humane Cosmetics Act."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the President and Congress of the United States to enact the "Humane Cosmetics Act" concerning cosmetics testing on animals.
Whereas, Every year, countless animals are injured and killed in tests that attempt to evaluate the hazards of consumer products and their ingredients; and
Whereas, In an effort to measure toxicity, rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and other animals are forced to swallow or inhale massive quantities of test substances or have a chemical spread in their eyes or on their skin; and
Whereas, Tests on animals often do not predict outcomes in humans, and many non-animal test methods are available and continue to be developed; and
Whereas, Acute toxicity testing, eye and skin irritation testing, skin sensitization testing, carcinogenicity testing, and reproductive and developmental toxicity testing cause great pain to animals without necessarily providing more accurate conclusions about the safety of consumer products than non-animal testing alternatives; and
Whereas, The United States Food and Drug Administration advises cosmetics manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate and effective for substantiating the safety of their products while noting that the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does not specifically require the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safety; and
Whereas, The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission's animal testing policy states that neither the Federal Hazardous Substances Act nor the commission's regulations require animal testing and only require that a product be labeled to reflect the hazards associated with that product; and
Whereas, While some countries, such as China, require specific animal tests for these products, the European Union, Israel, and India have banned the sale of any cosmetics or cosmetics ingredients that have been tested on animals; and
Whereas, The "Humane Cosmetics Act," introduced on June 6, 2017 as H.R.2790, would ban testing any cosmetics on animals, and would also ban the sale of any product that uses animal testing after the effective date of the act; and
Whereas, By both banning animal testing in the United States and prohibiting the sale of products that have been tested on animals, the "Humane Cosmetics Act" would help reduce animal cosmetics testing worldwide; and
Whereas, The congressional sponsors of the "Humane Cosmetics Act" have stated that the cosmetics industry already has safer, more cost-effective methods of testing that do not harm animals and American companies face no economic risk from this legislation; and
Whereas, The cosmetics industry is already using alternative cutting-edge testing methods that are safer and cheaper and which do not hurt animals, and the United States should show moral leadership by standing against the inhumane treatment of animals; and
Whereas, The "Humane Cosmetics Act" would bring the United States' cosmetics policy in line with more than 30 countries that have already implemented bans on animal testing and the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, including the European Union, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and India; and
Whereas, Of the 13 biggest importers of American cosmetics, eight countries have bans in place or legislation under consideration regarding animal testing, and American cosmetics companies already have to comply with these animal testing bans; and
Whereas, Seven hundred cosmetics brands in North America do not test products or ingredients on animals, and instead use other affordable, proven methods of testing and innovate with thousands of ingredients already proven safe for use; and
Whereas, The "Humane Cosmetics Act" has been endorsed by 195 companies in the cosmetics industry, and is supported by both Republican and Democratic cosponsors; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the President and Congress of the United States to enact legislation (currently H.R.2790 of 2017), known as the "Humane Cosmetics Act," to ban the testing of cosmetics on animals and also ban the sale of any cosmetics product that uses animal testing after the effective date of the act.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, and every member of the congressional delegation from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the President and Congress to enact the "Humane Cosmetics Act," currently introduced in Congress as H.R.2790, which would ban the testing of cosmetics on animals in the United States, and would also ban the sale of products that used animal testing after the effective date of the act.
Every year, countles animals are poisoned and killed in tests that attempt to evaluate the hazards of consumer products and their ingredients. Despite the widespread availability of effective alternatives to animal testing, many cosmetics companies still conduct testing on animals. By both banning animal testing in the United States and prohibiting the sale of products that have been tested on animals, the enactment of this legislation would help reduce animal cosmetics testing worldwide, and bring the United States' cosmetics policy in line with more than 30 countries that have already implemented bans on animal testing and the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, including the European Union, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and India.
The Humane Cosmetics Act has been endorsed by 195 companies in the cosmetics industry, and is supported both by Republican and Democratic cosponsors. By enacting this legislation, the United States can show moral leadership without compromising product safety or business profitability.
