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New York has become the 10th US state to ban the sale of cosmetics tested on animals.
The New York Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act was signed into law on December 15. It prevents the sale and manufacturing of cosmetic products tested on animals.
Governor Kathy Hochul made the move official, with the law taking effect next month (January 2023). The motion is reported to have received “almost unanimous” bipartisan support, meaning that Democrats and Republicans agreed with the bill.
Companies will now be unable to produce or sell any cosmetics which use animal testing in their supply chain. This will apply throughout the entirety of New York state. Such restrictions are already in place in New Jersey, California, Louisiana, and Nevada, alongside Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Maine, and Hawaii.
Cosmetics manufacturers will now have to ditch painful testing procedures in favor of cruelty-free experiment methods and ingredients. Both are increasingly uncomplicated to source.
“Research methods have evolved, rendering unnecessary the requirement that animals undergo inhumane tests to help companies create a new mascara or shampoo,” New York State assembly member Linda Rosenthal said in a statement.
New York zeros in on animal welfare concerns
The Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act announcement comes shortly after another win for animal rights in New York.
Just last week it was revealed that the state had banned the sale of cats, dogs, and rabbits in pet stores. The move came about to force better control of commercial breeding operations. Again, Hochul signed the act into law.
Though not coming into effect until 2024, the ban is being hailed as a significant victory for animals.
Will the rest of the US ban animal-tested cosmetics?
New York’s new legislation lends weight to ongoing calls for a nationwide ban on cosmetics animal testing. The Humane Cosmetics Act, which is currently passing through the US judicial system, would implement such restrictions.
“Now it is up to Congress to pass the Humane Cosmetics Act to bring about a consistent standard for ending cosmetics animal testing across the country,” Brian Shapiro, New York State director for the Humane Society, said in a statement.
The act has garnered endorsement from more than just politicians and public opinion. To date, close to 400 (377) companies have pledged their support. Among them are large organizations including Unilever, the Body Shop, and Walgreens.
