Bill > H426

This bill proposes to prohibit the sale of cosmetics in Massachusetts that have been tested on animals after the bill's effective date, with several important nuanced provisions. The legislation defines key terms like "cosmetic" broadly to include personal care products such as deodorant and shampoo, and "animal testing" as any application of a cosmetic or its ingredients to live non-human vertebrates. Manufacturers would be barred from importing, selling, or offering for sale cosmetics where animal testing was conducted or contracted by the manufacturer or its suppliers. However, the bill includes specific exemptions for animal testing required by regulatory agencies under certain circumstances, such as when testing is necessary to address a substantiated human health problem and no alternative testing method exists. The bill does not apply to cosmetics or ingredients tested on animals before the effective date, and it allows manufacturers to review or retain data from past animal testing. The attorney general is empowered to investigate potential violations, with the ability to review testing data and impose civil penalties up to $5,000 for the first violation and $1,000 per day for continuing violations, while also ensuring the confidentiality of trade secret information. The legislation will take effect six months after its passage, giving manufacturers time to adjust their practices.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H426