Washington State Considers Animal Testing Ban

According to a report by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Washington state is considering a bill to protect against animal testing for cosmetic products. H.B. 1097, if enacted, would ban manufacturers from selling or offering for sale cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing in Washington state beginning on Jan. 1, 2025.

See related: Canada Officially Bans Animal Testing for Cosmetics

The bill would allow for limited exemptions. For example, if testing was conducted outside of the U.S. to comply with a requirement of a foreign regulatory authority — so long as no evidence from the test was relied upon to substantiate the safety of the cosmetic ingredient or product being sold in Washington. Or, if testing was conducted for a cosmetic or cosmetic ingredient subject to 21 U.S.C. Sec. 351 et seq. of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for adulterated drugs and devices.

Also exempt are cosmetics if, in their final form, they were tested on animals before Jan. 1, 2025, even if they are manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2025, so long as no new animal testing occurs after Jan. 1, 2025; the same goes for cosmetic ingredients. Per the bill, manufacturers in violation of the ban could be fined up to $5,000 for each violation.

Washington state would be the twelfth on the growing list of U.S. states banning animal testing for cosmetics. The others include: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Virginia, per the Humane Society.