California Gov. Brown Signs Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act into Law

SACRAMENTO—The Physicians Committee applauds California Gov. Jerry Brown for signing Senate Bill 1249, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, into law on Fri., Sept. 28.

Authored by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani and co-sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, SB 1249 will make it unlawful for cosmetic manufacturers to sell any cosmetic in California if the final product or any component of the product was tested on animals after January 1, 2020, with some exceptions for regulatory requirements.

“With the passage of SB 1249, California now leads the country in supporting modern, reliable cosmetic safety testing, while protecting animals from unnecessary suffering,” said Sen. Galgiani.

Introduced to the legislature in February of this year, SB 1249 was endorsed by 100 cosmetics companies, including John Paul Mitchell Systems and Lush Cosmetics. Tens of thousands of individuals wrote letters and made phone calls to their legislators. The bill also attracted support from celebrities Moby, Alicia Silverstone, John Salley, Maggie Q, Kristin Bauer van Straten, Harley Quinn Smith, Sia, Emily Deschanel, Alyssa Milano, and more.

“We at the Physicians Committee are proud to have co-sponsored this historic bill, helping draft and advance it into law—a law that will ensure progress for science, ingredient safety, and animals,” said Kristie Sullivan, M.P.H., vice president of research policy for the Physicians Committee. “We will continue our work to modernize safety testing across the globe, including advocating for policy change and educating foreign regulators about the effective, affordable nonanimal testing methods available today.”

“This is a dream come true,” stated Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation. “I had hoped in my lifetime we would say goodbye to animal-tested products. My group, Social Compassion in Legislation, was poised and politically ready to take this issue on. We found the perfect partner to merge forces with in the Physicians Committee. Leading this effort is the biggest accomplishment of my lifetime, and we are so grateful to Governor Brown for signing this lifesaving and landmark bill into law. It is a legacy both he and Senator Galgiani can be proud of, and one for the history books as a huge step forward for humanity."

California will join the European Union, Switzerland, India, Israel, Guatemala, and other regions that have banned or restricted animal testing on cosmetics.