SB 1249, California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act, Passes Judiciary Committee with 9-0 Vote

SACRAMENTO—Senate bill 1249, the California Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act passed by a vote of 9 to 0 in the California Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. SB 1249, authored by Senator Cathleen Galgiani and sponsored by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Social Compassion in Legislation, would make it unlawful for cosmetic manufacturers to sell any cosmetic in California if the final product or any component of the product was knowingly tested on animals after January 1, 2020, with a few limited exceptions.

After the vote, Senator Cathleen Galgiani stated, “We are thrilled that the Judiciary Committee agrees with the vast majority of Californians in demanding cruelty-free cosmetics.”

Elizabeth Baker, Esq., regulatory policy director for the Physicians Committee, stated, “Looking at the variety of robust and effective nonanimal testing methods available today and the ethics of animal testing make SB 1249 a no-brainer. Californians want a cruelty-free cosmetics market and legislators are listening.”

“We thank all the assembly members on both sides of the aisle for standing together against cruelty. This is a non-partisan issue for their constituents and we are so glad they have not made it a partisan issue. Companies can be successful without performing these antiquated tests on helpless animals, as John Paul Mitchell Systems and Lush Cosmetics have done since their beginnings decades ago,” stated Judie Mancuso, founder and president of Social Compassion in Legislation, in reaction to the two Republican committee members who voted for the bill.

“Consumers want safe personal products and the compassionate treatment of animals,” said animal rights advocate and star of ABC’s Designated Survivor, Maggie Q, who lobbied legislators, along with fellow actors Kristin Bauer van Straten, Harley Quinn Smith, and Katie Cleary. “SB 1249 allows us to have both.”

“I’m looking forward to the day when consumers don’t have to worry about whether their purchase of soap, shampoo, or deodorant contributed to the suffering of innocent animals,” said John Salley, former Los Angeles Laker and four-time NBA champion, who also visited the Capitol in support of the bill.

Currently, there are already more than 3000 cosmetics companies successfully operating on a cruelty-free model. These manufacturers use tools based on in vitro and in silico technology, as well as using ingredients that are already on the market and proven safe, to ensure the safety of their products. Human-relevant, nonanimal test methods can provide more reliable information on how humans react to ingredients and products. 

SB 1249 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.