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(December 11, 2007)—The New Jersey Senate unanimously approved a bill on Monday that will lead to more humane, accurate and less expensive tests to assess product safety. If signed by Gov. John Corzine, New Jersey will become the second state to prohibit traditional animal experimentation for product testing when federally recommended alternatives exist.
Earlier this year, the New Jersey Assembly also unanimously passed the bill, and the measure now awaits the governor’s signature. This important legislation could save millions of animals from being used in the testing of cosmetics and household products, and will not impact medical research.
"We applaud Senators Vitale and Weinberg for their leadership and thank New Jersey lawmakers for advancing this important reform," said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "Using animal-testing methods when federal agencies have approved safe and equally effective alternatives is the humane thing to do. It’s unnecessary and cruel to inflict immense animal suffering when reasonable alternatives are available."
S. 1956—introduced by Senators Joseph Vitale (D-19) and Loretta Weinberg (D-37)—and A. 909—introduced by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-15) and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-15)—were backed by the Humane Society Legislative Fund, The Humane Society of the United States, Doris Day Animal League, The Procter & Gamble Company, and Unilever.
New Jersey would join California as the only states in the nation with a law to require alternatives to animal testing.
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Media contact: Jordan Crump: 301-548-7793, jcrump@humanesociety.org
The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. On the web at www.hslf.org. | 
