The New York Senate and Assembly have both passed a bill banning the sale of cosmetics tested on animals from 1 January.
The bill prohibits the manufacture or sale of cosmetics tested on animals, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for the first violation.
The punishment will rise to up to $1,000 per day - with further implications if the New York state attorney general wishes to investigate actions - if the violation continues.
The ban does not apply to animal testing conducted as a requirement of any federal, state or foreign regulatory agency; if the cosmetic or ingredient being tested is in wide use or cannot be replaced by another ingredient; if a specific human health problem is substantiated and animal testing is needed to evaluate the cosmetic or ingredient; and if there is no other way to test other than animal testing that meets state or federal guidelines.
Ingredients tested on animals can also still be sold in New York if it was tested on animals before the new law takes effect on 1 January 2023, even if the cosmetic is manufactured on or after 1 January 2023.
The bill needs to be signed into law by the New York state governor.
There are currently eight US states that have banned animal testing of cosmetics: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and Virginia.
