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New Jersey Bans The Sale Of Cosmetics Tested On Animals
The offer of cosmetic care products tested on animals will be banned in New Jersey beginning next year.
According to a new law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy last week, any cosmetic item tested on animals, regardless of whether that testing occurred in or out of state, can’t be sold in New Jersey beginning March 2022.
New Jersey recently prohibited in-state animal testing, as indicated by NJ.com.
The enactment was among dozens that governor Murphy endorsed. It passed unanimously in the State Senate and Assembly with bipartisan help.
A few organizations, including Lush, The Herbs and the Bees, and US Organic Group, additionally upheld the law.
Starting on March 1, 2022, the offer of cosmetic products tested on animals will be prohibited, with a couple of exemptions, as if “the animal test is required by a federal or State regulatory authority” or if the “ingredient that requires an animal test is in wide use and cannot be replaced by another ingredient,” according to the legislation.
Violators could look up to a $1,000 fine for every offense.
New Jersey will become the eighth state to pass such a law, following California, Nevada, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Maine, and Hawaii.
Vicki Katrinak, director of animal research and testing at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), applauded New Jersey’s move in a statement Tuesday.
“In the passage of this law, New Jersey has recognized overwhelming public opinion that animals should not suffer to test cosmetic products or ingredients,” Katrinak said. “
With a growing number of non-animal test methods available, there is no ethical justification to continue harming animals for the sake of shampoo, mascara, or aftershave.”
Katrinak went on to thank the legislation’s primary sponsors, senator Joseph Lagana and assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, “for their leadership on this bill and Governor Murphy for signing this important bipartisan legislation.”
Clean and cruelty-free beauty products have seen a boom in recent years, and the sales of cruelty-free products are expected to continue to grow the following decade, according to the market research company Fact.MR.