Hawaiʻi Lawmaker is our May Legislator of the Month
Senator Mike Gabbard receives award for making Hawaii Cruelty Free
Each month we nominate a Legislator of the Month to celebrate the work these individuals do for animals. This month, our award goes to state Senator Mike Gabbard for his work to end animal testing for cosmetics in Hawaii.
"With modern testing methods, we don’t need to test cosmetic products on animals. Today’s methods are more accurate and efficient.”
Hawaii was one of the first states to consider legislation of this kind when Senator Mike Gabbard first introduced the bill in 2018. The Senator has re-introduced the bill each year since, and this year his persistency paid off with the bill passing its final vote and now awaiting the Governor’s signature to officially become law.
The Hawaii Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act will prohibit cosmetic manufactures from selling in the state any cosmetic product involving new animal testing from January 1, 2022. Passage of this bill will make Hawaii one of just 6 US states (including California, Illinois, Nevada, Virginia and Maryland) to pass a such a law.
Senator Gabbard said, “As a vegetarian for 49 years and vegan for almost 10 years, protecting animals from the unnecessary pain and suffering caused by needless testing of cosmetic products was a no-brainer for me, and I think for many people in Hawai’i and across the nation. 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. With modern testing methods, we don’t need to test cosmetic products on animals. Today’s methods are more accurate and efficient.”
We thank Senator Gabbard for his humane leadership and dedication to seeing this bill through to the end.
