[Animals] Hawaii To Be The Next State To Ban Testing On Animals For Cosmetics; Sign Petition To Pass Federal Legislation As Well.

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Hawaii is in line to become the next state to ban testing on animals for cosmetics after the Hawaii Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act passed the state legislature’s final vote at the end of last month. The bill is now on the desk of Hawaii Governor David Ige to sign into law.

The bill, introduced by Hawaii Senator Mike Gabbard several years ago, calls for cosmetic manufacturers to stop selling any cosmetic product involving new animal testing from January 1, 2022.

“I’m stoked the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Bill (SB 345) that I introduced finally passed. With a good chance of becoming law, Hawaii will soon become the sixth state in the country to ban cosmetic animal testing,” Senator Gabbard shared in a post on his Facebook page. “I first introduced this legislation in 2018, with input from the Hawaiian Humane Society, Pono Advocacy, and Cruelty Free International—making Hawaii one of the first states to even consider banning cosmetic animal testing—and I’ve reintroduced it every year.”

A vegetarian for 49 years and vegan for almost 10 years, Senator Gabbard expressed his dedication to advancing legislation that protects animals from the unnecessary pain and suffering caused by needless testing of cosmetic products; calling it a “no-brainer.”

Tragically, each year, thousands of animals continue to endure harsh testing methods, including having chemicals dripped into their eyes or rubbed onto their skin, after which they are killed.

“There’s been a growing awareness of the need to do more to protect our furry friends. People are increasingly looking for cosmetic products that are cruelty-free,” Senator Gabbard continued in the post. “With modern testing methods, we don’t need to test cosmetic products on animals. Plus, today’s methods are more accurate and efficient.”

As reported by WAN in April of this year, Virginia recently passed similar legislation. In 2018, California became the first state to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics followed by Nevada and Illinois in 2019. Similar legislation is currently pending in Maryland as well. More than 40 countries have also restricted animal testing for cosmetics.