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Pallone & Lance Applaud Senate Committee Hearing on Cosmetic Product Safety

September 22, 2016

Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Committee Member Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) applauded the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee for holding a hearing today on cosmetic product safety. The two lawmakers announced a bipartisan proposal in the House last week to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) authority to regulate cosmetic products.

The Senate hearing, entitled "Exploring Current Practices in Cosmetic Development and Safety," included testimony from Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), sponsors of similar, bipartisan legislation in the Senate. Pallone and Lance issued the following statement:

"Today's Senate hearing is an important step forward in building awareness and support for cosmetic product safety legislation. We would welcome the opportunity to have industry, advocates, and stakeholders appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee to stress the need for Congressional action. Consumers need to know that the cosmetic products they are using are safe. We look forward to continuing our work with Senators Feinstein and Collins on bipartisan legislation that gives FDA the authority and resources necessary to protect Americans."

BACKGROUND: FDA is the federal agency charged with oversight of cosmetic products, but, under current law, FDA cannot require cosmetic manufacturers to register with the Agency, provide information about their products and ingredients, or even require companies to test cosmetic products for safety before bringing them to market. The Pallone-Lance proposal would strengthen FDA's regulatory authority over cosmetic products to help ensure that the cosmetics Americans use each day are safe.

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Issues:Health