LOS ANGELES_Most cosmetics tested on animals will soon be illegal in California, under a new law signed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The ban, authored by Democratic state Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, and will apply only to cosmetics tested on animals after that date. It allows exceptions when a federal authority, such as the Food and Drug Administration, requires animal testing.
The measure passed easily in the Legislature last month after late amendments reduced its scope, removing most opposition. Before those amendments, some opponents had worried the ban would hurt business in China, which requires animal testing for health reasons. The amended law allows manufacturers to test products on animals to meet foreign regulations, as long as those tests are not used to confirm a product's safety in California.
The August amendments also specified that a manufacturer can sell cosmetics containing ingredients tested on animals, provided the animal testing was not done by the manufacturer or its suppliers. That provision addressed some companies' concerns that other organizations could test their key ingredients on animals, stopping sales.
The law ultimately received widespread support from cosmetics manufacturers, celebrity advocates and animal rights groups.
