Illinois Bans Sale of Cosmetics Tested on Animals

This month, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed SB 241 into law, effectively banning the statewide sale of cosmetic products and ingredients tested on animals after January 1, 2020. The bill was sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes and supported by animal-rights organizations Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Cruelty Free International (CFI). “Cosmetics testing on animals is inhumane, expensive, and at odds with the laws and regulations of many countries throughout the world,” AWI President Cathy Liss said. “We appreciate that the Illinois legislature, Governor Pritzker, and consumers are taking a stand against these archaic tests that cause immeasurable suffering.” Illinois is the third state to pass such a ban behind Nevada and California, which passed their bans in June 2019 and September 2018, respectively. More than 30 countries around the world have animal cosmetic-testing bans in place, including Australia which passed its Industrial Chemicals Bill in February. “Tragically, despite the availability of approved non-animal tests and existing ingredients that are safe for human use, we estimate that over half a million animals are still used annually in cruel and unnecessary cosmetics testing worldwide,” Monica Engebretson, North America campaign manager for CFI, said. “By ending the sale of new animal-tested cosmetics, Illinois is matching global progress and has become a national leader on this issue.”