California Urges the US to End Cruel Cosmetics Testing and Adopt Alternatives

The call to end cosmetics animal testing is stronger now than it has ever been before – and this is a great sign! First and foremost, it signifies that we are entering a new era where animal protection issues are gaining real mainstream momentum and secondly, it means that thousands of animals may finally be spared a life of cruelty and suffering – both of which are highly welcomed results!

With cosmetics animal testing banned in all 28 European Union member states, Norway, Israel, and India and a strong ban and fine set in place in São Paulo, Brazil, the United States is lagging behind. Thankfully, a historic bill, introduced in early 2014, now sits in Congress called the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 4148), which will make cosmetics animal testing illegal and prohibit the sale and transport of animal tested cosmetics in the U.S. Awesome, right?!

Leading animal protection organizations, ranging from Cruelty Free International to the Humane Society of the United, in addition to big stars like Ricky Gervias and Mayim Bialik, are now calling on the U.S. to swiftly adopt the Humane Cosmetics Act and stand with other leading countries.

The state of Calif. has also recently joined in this call with the introduction of SJR 22, a resolution initiated by Senator Marty Block (San Diego-39) and supported by Cruelty Free International, the ASPCA, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, among others. This is another big step for Calif., which became the first in the nation to reduce animal testing in 2000.

According to sponsoring organization, Cruelty Free International, the SJR 22 “urges the federal government to mandate alternative methods to animal testing when other testing methods are available” and also “calls on the U.S. Congress to enact legislation that would establish reasonable deadlines for the prohibition on the testing and marketing of products which have been tested on animals.”

“Unnecessary cruelty is unforgiveable,” Sen. Block said. “Animal testing by the cosmetics industry is usually unnecessary and often unreliable. Where other means of ensuring product safety are available, they should be used.”

Hear, hear, Sen. Block! We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Luckily, SJR 22 is on the move and has been approved by the California senate with a “bipartisan vote of 31-0,” as Cruelty Free International reports. This kind of consensus is rarely seen with animal protection issues and so a 31-0 “yes” vote is simply amazing. The measure will now head to the Assembly and hopefully it will meet similar widespread Support there.

Take Action

Write or call your federal legislators today and ask that they Support and become co-sponsors of the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 4148). After you initiate this important contact, please sign this petition to follow-up on your conversations.

Image source: ruurmo / Flickr