H.B. 495 Summary

• Prohibits cosmetic manufacturers from knowingly selling, offering for sale, or delivering cosmetic products at retail or to consumers that were developed using animal testing conducted or contracted by the manufacturer or its suppliers.

• Establishes exceptions allowing animal testing when conducted outside the U.S. to comply with foreign regulations (if no evidence used in Ohio), for ingredients regulated as drugs under federal law, or for non-cosmetic products meeting specific regulatory requirements.

• Allows animal testing requested or required by the Department of Agriculture, State Board of Pharmacy, or regulatory authorities only when no non-animal testing methods exist and documented evidence shows serious potential health risks justify the testing.

• Grandfathers cosmetics and ingredients tested on animals before the law's effective date, provided no new animal testing violations occur after enactment.

• Establishes civil penalties not exceeding $5,000 plus $1,000 per day of violation, with penalties deposited into a new cosmetic animal testing prevention fund to offset enforcement costs.