Today, Reps. Schakowsky, Markey and Baldwin introduced The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011, H.R. 2359.
Here is the press release issued by Rep. Schakowsky’s office: PRESS RELEASE
The full text of the bill should be available Monday or Tuesday online. You can look for it here by searching the bill number, H.R. 2359.
We have a very open line of communication with the staff of Rep. Schakowsky, Markey and Baldwin’s offices and have been very encouraged by all of the positive changes made for small business between the 2010 and 2011 versions of this bill. Please check back next week for a more comprehensive report on this legislation.
On June 10th, I flew to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional staff from Representative Schakowsky, Markey and Baldwin’s offices. I was invited to meet with them as a follow up to ongoing meetings that have been conducted over the past year and to hear the changes that they are proposing to make as a result of our active advocacy efforts.
Since our first meetings last July (after the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was introduced) the Representatives’ staffs have kept the lines of communication open and have been very receptive to our input. This meeting was no different; I attended with our D.C. advocate Mary Anne Walsh of Roetzel and Andress who has been not only our eyes and ears in Washington, but also an advisor and strategist, introducing the industry to Members of Congress in both the House and Senate.
I can tell you now, without a doubt, that the HSMG’s voice is being heard on Capitol Hill.
After some lengthy discussions and negotiations in our recent meeting, it looks like the new draft of The Safe Cosmetics Act should include several provisions that are major victories for the HSMG and its members. They are:
REGISTRATION
For registration of your facility or company and your products:
Any cosmetic company with under $2 million in gross aggregate sales per year will be exempt from FDA registration for both the company and products being made.
A company that makes between $2 million and $10 million in gross aggregate sales per year will register their company (facility) and their products annually. There will be no registration fees and no change forms if you introduce a new product within that year.
A cosmetic manufacturer that has over $10 million in gross aggregate sales per year will register their company (facility) and their products and will be responsible for a registration fee to the FDA. This fee will be determined by the FDA and will be based on gross sales.
LABELING
All botanicals will be listed as what they are on the label and will not need to be broken down into their organic compounds. For example, Coconut Oil will be Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil).
Also, the legislation will NOT require additional testing for products made using already tested, approved and labeled ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
The FDA will be charged with coming up with three categories of cosmetic ingredients: Safe without limits, Restricted, and Prohibited.
All food-grade ingredients will be on the “Safe without limits list”.
Ingredients on the “Restricted list” may be used in cosmetics but will have restrictions on usage or quantity.
Ingredients on the “Prohibited list” cannot be used in cosmetics and will have a 2 year phase out period.
To facilitate compliance, the FDA will maintain an online site for companies to access information on the three categories of ingredients and will update regularly, including the addition of new ingredients after testing and determinations are made.
SOAP
The soap exemption will remain the same as it is in the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act. To familiarize yourself with this exemption please read this area of the FDA site.
IN SUMMARY
I am very encouraged by the proposed changes and exemptions. Likewise, I am very optimistic that the congressional leaders will continue to work with us and hear our concerns. In the weeks ahead, we will remain in close contact with the bill’s sponsors to keep the lines of communication open and to make sure that the proposed changes and exemptions outlined above are, in fact, included in the new Safe Cosmetics Act.
What this all means is that our industry is no longer an unknown in DC. Through countless hours of work on the part of many individuals and the input of our DC Advocates Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo, we find ourselves possibly looking at a much more industry friendly version of The Safe Cosmetics Act. We now know that at some point — whether this year or next or even further down the road – Congress will move ahead to pass safe cosmetics legislation. The good news is that the HSMG is now a known stakeholder and Members of Congress are not only listening, but very willing to work with us.
I would personally like to thank the following individuals for their tireless work on this over the past couple of years and hope that we can continue to make a difference together in the future. Our industry is stronger and our voice is louder when we work together.
Debbie May of Wholesale Supplies Plus
Kayla Fioravanti of Essential Wholesale
Anne-Marie Faiola of Bramble Berry
Marie Gale – HSMG Past President
Donna Maria Coles Johnson of Indie Beauty Network
Lela Barker of Bella Lucce
Please stay tuned to the HSMG Blog for further updates on The Safe Cosmetics Act, we will post them as they become available.
The Miami sun is deceptively strong. Make sure to use plenty of sunblock to avoid painful sunburn. Even if you are in the sun a lot, the tropical sun can burn very quickly.
If you brought sunblock from home, be sure to check the expiration date. Out of date sunblock may not offer the protection that its SPF number predicts. According to Dr. Rachel Herchenfeld’s article in the Washington Post, many sunblocks contain ingredients that don’t have a long shelf life. Better be safe than sorry.
Another strategy is to cover up. Wearing light, long-sleeved shirts and sun hats can also minimize exposure.
There is no denying that the food at the HSMG conference is out of this world! The picture on the left is from a dessert table from last year’s conference.
Meals at the conference are a great time to meet new soapmakers and vendors. Take time to enjoy a meal with someone new. You won’t be sorry.
While breaking bread, the conversation may drift to soap, supplies, shows, certification testing, and more. The breadth of experience that our members and conference attendees have is amazing. Meal time is a great place to learn and make new friends while at the conference.
After you pick up your registration packet for the conference, take the time to read through it. The packet contains your road map for selecting workshops; learning more about the sponsors, vendors, and speakers; and general information that will enhance your conference experience. Important information for the annual meeting will also be included in your folder. Don’t forget to look for your ballot for the Soapers’ Showcase.
When you come to the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild conference in two weeks, be sure to bring lots of business cards.
If you have attended previous HSMG conferences in the past, then you know that the conference is an excellent place for networking. Throughout the conference you will find business networking opportunities. If this is your first HSMG conference, you will meet lots of incredible, talented soapmakers who all share your passion for our craft. As you get to know other Guild members and conference attendees, you will make new friends with whom you can discuss techniques, ask questions, help promote each others products, share booths at events, split bulk purchases and more. Networking and exchanging business cards is good for business.
With only a few weeks before the conference, now is a perfect time to familiarize yourself with attractions in the area. Miami has many wonderful attractions that are not to be missed. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be featuring attractions in Miami to help you plan your stay. Check back for ideas of attractions to visit.
The Art Deco District on Ocean Drive
Beautiful art deco buildings were revitalized in the 1980s and make up one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Miami. Enjoy the architecture after spending a little time on South Beach. Ocean Drive is know as a great spot for enjoying a tropical drink while people watching. (Note: Often the restaurants include the gratuity on the bill, be sure to check your bill).
The Miami Design Preservation League’s provides tours of the neighborhood. More information is available via their information center at 1001 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach.
(L to R) Deborah May, HSMG President Leigh O’Donnell, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA), Feleciai Favroth, Marie Gale
In our continuing efforts to work with Members of Congress to advance the interests of the Handcrafted Soap Makers Guild (HSMG), we would like to update you on the recent progress on the still evolving Safe Cosmetics Act in the 112th Congress.
After hearing the concerns of the HSMG in February and the promise to continue a dialogue with us on behalf of the HSMG, staff members of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky have been quite responsive in keeping us informed. In our most recent communication, we learned that a number of the provisions of the original bill are being redrafted. We are not surprised by this information based on the range of issues discussed in our February meeting.
Although we have not seen any of the new draft language, through our continued engagement with offices involved in drafting the bill, we are optimistic that we will get to see and comment on any proposed language that directly impacts HSMG and the industry. Furthermore, we remain encouraged that our ongoing conversations with Congresswoman Schakowsky, her staff and our continuing outreach with other Members of Congress will result in more positive conversations and support for HSMG concerns as the legislative proposal is developed and finalized.
Over the years the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has been many things to it many members. The HSMG has now taken on its biggest challenge yet: monitoring the “Safe Cosmetics Act” and any federal legislation aimed at the cosmetics industry. An updated version of The Safe Cosmetics Act is expected to be released later this year. The HSMG is working diligently to make sure that soapmakers are not inadvertently affected by this bill or any bill aimed at our industry.
Our country’s legislative system is complex and not easy to navigate, if you don’t have the proper guidance it is nearly impossible to make headway against the currents of bureaucracy. The HSMG has hired Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo to advocate for handcrafted soapmakers. Mary Anne and Rick will be at the conference in Miami to answer questions and introduce themselves to the membership of the HSMG. Since they were hired by the association in September of 2010 they have been working hard for us in Washington and they look forward to meeting some of our members in person.
Having your voice heard in Washington is expensive, costing approximately $9,000 per month. The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild needs help from its members to continue this effort. We are relying on donations to our Advocacy Fund. You can help the HSMG by putting a Donate Now PayPal button on your website or blog. Email, Facebook, or Tweet the word…
Its very simple to add our advocacy button. Here’s how:
Add the following code snippet to either the html code on your website or past it in the html view of your blog.
In order to place the “Donate” on your website, update the code below by putting in (1) the URL that the person should return to when the transaction is complete and (2) the text on the return button (i.e. “Return to XYZ Website”). Then place the full code on your website where you want the button to display:
<div style=”height: 60px; width: 200px;”><form action=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr” method=”post”> <input type=”hidden” name=”cmd” value=”_s-xclick”> <input type=”hidden” name=”hosted_button_id” value=”S5H66GTAYTRDN”> <input type=”hidden” name=”return” value=”[(1)Put the return URL here]“> <input type=”hidden” name=”cbt” value=”[(2)Put the return button text here]“> <input type=”image” src=”http://www.soapguild.org/images/donate-button.gif” border=”0″ name=”submit” alt=”Make a donation to the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild’s Legislative Advocacy Fund.”> <img alt=”" border=”0″ src=”https://www.paypalobjects.com/WEBSCR-640-20110306-1/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif” width=”1″ height=”1″> </form> </div>
*** Values in bold must be contained within quotation marks “ ” ***
If you are adding the code into a WordPress blog:
As a post:
1. Create a New Post:
2. Switch to HTML view.
3. Paste the code
4. Change the return URL and Return text
To add to a sidebar:
1. Open the Appearance section (must be logged in as an administrator)
2 Select Editor
3. Select your Sidebar.php file (may be called some variation on this)
4. Paste code into sidebar
5. Change the return url and donation text
Adding the code to a website:
Decide which page(s) you would like to have the button appear on. Paste the code into the appropriate place in the HTML code.
If you are using a content management system, such as Joomla or Drupal, paste the code into a new article or into an appropriate template for the theme that you are using.
Fund Use & Accountability
All donations made to the Advocacy Fund are used solely and only for advocacy activities. To ensure the utmost transparency and accountability, the Advocacy Fund will be audited monthly by the Board of Directors and reviewed quarterly by an external Certified Public Accountant (CPA). A full account of funds donated and financial expenses will be provided to any donor upon request.
Donor Listing
Donors may choose to be listed on our website (or not). Amounts of donations will not be disclosed.
(L to R) Feleciai Favroth, Marie Gale, Russ Carnahan (MO-3), HSMG President Leigh O'Donnell, Debbie May
Continuing our efforts to reach out to Members of the 112th Congress, I traveled to Washington, DC during the week of March 7th with several of my colleagues. Over two days, we met with 16 Congressional Offices and 2 Senate Offices representing states across the country.
Accompanied by Marie Gale (HSMG Past-President), Feleciai Favroth (HSMG Board Member) and Debbie May (Wholesale Supplies Plus), we met with these offices to make them aware of our industry, discuss the impact the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 (HR 5786) would have had and to build relationships. This is part of our strategic plan to avoid becoming inadvertent collateral damage in any federal legislation.
I am very encouraged by both this round of meetings and our meetings in February. For the most part everyone we have met with has been very receptive to our message and eager to learn about our industry and our trade. Accompanied by our DC Advocacy Team of Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo, we were able to deliver a very clear and compelling message. We left them with samples of handcrafted soap from members of the HSMG, which was an excellent conversational piece and also educated them on the types of products we were discussing.
As we move forward in our Advocacy Plan, we will continue to work with our DC Advocates and stay vigilant to any changes in Washington. We still do expect a new version of The Safe Cosmetics Act to be released sometime later this year by Rep. Schakowsky (IL). Now more than ever we need your support through donations to our Legislative Advocacy Fund and/or by joining the HSMG. The more members we have the louder and stronger our voice becomes.
We are also pleased to announce that our DC Advocates Mary Anne Walsh and Rick Limardo will be joining us at our Annual Conference in Miami, Florida, May 18-20 at the Hilton Miami Downtown. They will address the attendees of the conference on May 18th and be available for questions and discussion throughout the event. If you are attending the conference this will be a great opportunity to find out how this process works and get the answers to some of your burning questions about the legislative process. For information on how to register for the conference visit our conference pages here.
If you would like to stay informed about what is happening with Cosmetics Legislation, you can visit our legislative advocacy pages, follow our blog and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
