Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4436
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-26T20:13:21Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill, titled the "Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2025," aims to improve the safety of cosmetics by addressing health risks from harmful chemicals. It focuses on protecting communities of color (especially women and girls) and professional salon workers (such as cosmetologists, nail technicians, barbers, and estheticians) who face higher exposure. The goal is to fund research, create resources, and enforce better labeling and safety standards to reduce health disparities and promote safer products.
Key Provisions
The bill amends the Public Health Service Act and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), while directing the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue new standards. Main sections include:
- Research on Health Disparities for Communities of Color (Sec. 3): The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) must conduct or fund research (including community-led studies) on chemicals in cosmetics marketed to women and girls of color that link to health issues like reproductive harm or cancer. This includes studying usage patterns, health effects, and ways to reduce exposure. Results must be shared publicly, with a report to Congress within 5 years. Eligible recipients: universities, community groups, or nonprofits focused on communities of color. Funding: $7.5 million over 5 years.
- Research on Health Concerns for Salon Workers (Sec. 4): Similar to Sec. 3, but targeted at professional nail, hair, and beauty salon workers. Research covers chemicals in salon products, safer options, health effects from exposure, and interventions. Dissemination focuses on workplace safety. A report to Congress is required within 5 years. Eligible recipients: universities, community groups, or nonprofits aiding communities of color or immigrants. Funding: $7.5 million over 5 years. Defines "salon worker" as anyone applying cosmetics in a business setting, licensed or not.
- Support for Creating Safer Alternatives (Sec. 5): HHS, through the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), awards grants for developing non-toxic cosmetic chemicals. Priority goes to replacing harmful ingredients in salon products or those marketed to communities of color, and aiding minority-owned companies. Funding: $10 million over 5 years.
- National Resource Center on Beauty Justice (Sec. 6): HHS grants funds to a nonprofit to establish a center addressing unsafe chemical exposures in cosmetics for underserved groups (e.g., communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ people, language minorities). Activities include community outreach, education, partnerships with stakeholders (like health professionals and salon workers), school curricula, and public campaigns tailored to cultural and language needs. Annual reports to HHS and Congress, posted publicly. Funding: $2 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030.
- Translation and Access to Safety Data Sheets (Sec. 7): DOL must issue an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard within 18 months requiring:
- Manufacturers/importers of professional-use cosmetics with hazardous chemicals (e.g., those causing health risks like skin irritation or toxicity) to create safety data sheets (documents listing hazards, safe handling, and ingredients) and post them online in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and other languages on request.
- Distributors to share these sheets with buyers, like salon owners.
- Employers (e.g., salon operators) to keep sheets on-site, make them available to workers, and provide translations.
Defines "ingredient" broadly (e.g., including fragrances or preservatives) and "professional" cosmetics as those for use by trained applicators. No direct funding specified.
- National Resource Center on Salon Worker Health and Safety (Sec. 8): Similar to Sec. 6, but focused on salon workers from underserved groups. A nonprofit grant recipient develops training (e.g., videos on reading safety sheets), outreach, resources for community organizations, and partnerships for best practices on health impacts. Annual reports to HHS and Congress, posted on FDA's website. Funding: $2 million per year for fiscal years 2026–2030.
- FDA Regulation of Synthetic Braids (Sec. 9): Amends the FD&C Act to:
- Include synthetic braids (fake hair extensions) in the definition of "cosmetic" (products altering appearance).
- Deem them "misbranded" (illegally labeled) if they fail new FDA safety standards and lack a warning label or website notice stating they don't meet safety rules.
- Allow states to impose stricter rules on synthetic braids (e.g., ingredient limits or more disclosure) without federal preemption (overriding). FDA must issue safety regulations within 1 year. No direct funding specified.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Public Health Service Act: Adds new sections (399V-8 and 399V-9) for targeted research on cosmetics, emphasizing community-based studies and dissemination—expanding beyond general public health research.
- FD&C Act: Broadens the cosmetics definition to explicitly cover synthetic braids; introduces misbranding rules specific to them; clarifies non-preemption for state actions on synthetic braids and certain ingredient reporting (building on the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, which increased FDA oversight but preserved some state powers).
- Occupational Safety and Health Act: Creates a new OSHA standard for safety data sheets on professional cosmetics, mandating multilingual access and online availability—extending existing hazard communication rules (which apply to chemicals like those in manufacturing) to the beauty industry.
These changes shift cosmetics regulation toward proactive safety for specific demographics, unlike prior laws that treated cosmetics more lightly than drugs or food.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: HHS and FDA gain responsibilities for research grants, resource centers, and synthetic braid regulations, requiring new staffing and coordination (e.g., with DOL for OSHA rules). DOL must enforce workplace safety in salons. Total authorized funding: about $38 million over 5 years, potentially straining budgets if not appropriated. Reports to Congress could inform future policy.
- Citizens: Improves access to safer cosmetics and information for communities of color, salon workers, immigrants, and LGBTQIA+ groups, potentially reducing health risks like allergies, endocrine disruption, or cancer from chemical exposure. Empowers consumers and workers through education and translations, but may raise product costs if manufacturers reformulate.
- International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned; focuses on U.S. domestic markets, though it could influence global cosmetic standards if safer alternatives are developed and exported.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Underserved Populations: Women/girls/men/boys of color; immigrant, language-minority, and LGBTQIA+ communities; other marginalized groups facing higher cosmetic-related health risks.
- Professional Salon Workers: Cosmetologists, nail technicians, barbers, estheticians (licensed or not), who handle products daily and may experience occupational hazards.
- Industry Players: Cosmetic manufacturers, importers, distributors, and minority-owned companies (benefit from grants but face new labeling/safety requirements); salon/spa owners (must comply with safety sheets).
- Support Organizations: Nonprofits, community groups, universities, and health professionals involved in outreach, training, and research.
- Regulators and Policymakers: HHS, FDA, DOL/OSHA, and congressional committees (Energy and Commerce; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions) overseeing implementation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens FDA's role in cosmetics (historically under-regulated compared to other products) by mandating safety standards for synthetic braids and preserving state flexibility—could lead to more lawsuits over misbranding or non-compliance. The OSHA standard enforces worker protections under existing hazard rules, potentially increasing inspections in salons.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce and public health (e.g., via spending on grants and agency directives); no apparent free speech or due process issues, as requirements focus on factual safety disclosures.
- Political: Promotes health equity by targeting disparities in marginalized communities, which could spark debates on industry burdens versus public benefits. As a bipartisan committee referral (Energy and Commerce, Education and Workforce), it signals focus on occupational and minority health, but implementation depends on appropriations and may face opposition from cosmetic manufacturers over costs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]
Cosponsors (13)
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12], Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9], Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-16: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2025 — issued 2025-07-16 — PDF (21 pages)