Federal, State & Local Advocacy
PCPC advocates for legislation rooted in sound science at the federal, state and local levels on policies that ensure the safety, quality, and innovation of cosmetics and personal care products.
Federal Advocacy Efforts
For more than a decade, PCPC and its member companies worked diligently with a bipartisan group of congressional leaders and a diverse group of stakeholders to enhance the effectiveness of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulatory authority and to provide the safety reassurances that consumers expect and deserve. As part of its ongoing commitment to cosmetics reform, PCPC and its members supported a set of Board-approved principles that have guided industry’s advocacy efforts, many of which mirror protections applied to other FDA-regulated products.
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, which includes the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) of 2022. This long-awaited, historic legislation gives the FDA additional tools to ensure the safety of cosmetics and to protect public health, reinforcing consumer confidence in the products they trust and enjoy every day. MoCRA also brings the FDA’s oversight of the beauty and personal care sector more in line with other categories the Agency regulates and contributes to global regulatory alignment.
State & Local Advocacy Efforts
PCPC represents the industry at the state and local levels on issues important to cosmetics and personal care products companies. State and local governments increasingly make policy decisions that have a global impact affecting a wide range of industries, including the personal care and cosmetics sectors, which is why it is critical for PCPC to form strategic partnerships and advocate for policies based on the best available science.
Together with the Environmental Working Group, PCPC has supported and advocated for legislation to align with the European Union list of prohibited ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, including in California and Maryland.
PCPC works collaboratively with Cruelty Free International (CFI) to support the adoption of cosmetics animal testing legislation.
In response to state legislative efforts on packaging and extended producer responsibility (EPR), PCPC’s Packaging Task Force developed comprehensive policy principles to guide industry’s legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts on packaging.
PCPC continues to support anti-discrimination legislation across the U.S. As a member of the CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Coalition, PCPC actively supports its passage.
PCPC works collaboratively with the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association (ASDSA), American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), and more than 60 other health, education and parent groups to support legislation that specifically allows sunscreens to be used in schools without a prescription. To date, 26 states and Washington, D.C., have passed the “SUNucate” model.