We are delighted to back the Virginia Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act which aims to prohibit the sale of new animal tested cosmetics in the state from 2020.

Bill SB 1642 passed the Senate early this week and now heads over to the House for consideration. The aim of the bill is to ensure that cosmetics sold in Virginia do not include ingredients that have been newly tested on animals. If passed the new law would come into effect on January 1st 2020.

The chief patron of the bill Senator Jennifer Boysko said: “Animal testing for cosmetics is cruel and unnecessary and is deeply unpopular with the public. My bill aims to ensure that animals are not harmed for cosmetics sold in Virginia thus meeting consumer demand, saving animals, and helping the US match global progress on this issue.”

Last year another bill introduced by Boysko and backed by us was successfully passed into law requiring that testing facilities in the state use alternatives to animal tests for testing cosmetics and household products whenever they are available.

Monica Engebretson, Cruelty Free International North American Campaign Manager, said: “We are so pleased Virginia may now take another leading step by ending the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics in the state. We thank Senator Boysko for her continued leadership on this issue”.

If you live in Virginia, you can help by writing to your State Delegate and ask them to support SB 1642.