Federal Legislation
At a Federal level, the HSCG monitors for legislation that could affect the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry
and has been working to make our industry known in the legislative arena. We are becoming a recognized stakeholder in
matters concerning the handcrafted soap and cosmetic industry.
Debra Carnahan, of Carnahan Global Consulting, has been retained to represent the HSCG in Washington, DC.
Part of our strategy has included several visits to DC to meet with Members of Congress who are, will be,
or could be active players in any future legislation. Our goal is to educate them
on the issues facing our industry and our position regarding potential cosmetic legislation.
Personal Care Products Safety Act
In 2015, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the
"Personal Care Products Safety Act". We worked dilligently to educate members of the House and
Senate, especially the members of applicable committees about our industry. The 2015 bill did not come
out of committee and died at the end of the legislative term.
On May 11, 2017, Senators Feinstein and Collins introduced a similar bill (S. 1113) titled "A bill to amend the
Federal food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to ensure the safety of cosmetics." The 2017 bill is considerably
updated and has better provisions for small and emerging businesses. See the
full summary.
Federal Regulations
Regulations are the implementation of any legislation passed by Congress and approved into law.
The process for implementing new regulations or changing existing regulations is lengthy and
detailed and has many opportunities for input from concerned parties. The HSCG monitors potential
regulation changes or implementations and provides input when needed to ensure that the needs of our industry are addressed.
Post Office Box Petition
In August 2012, the HSCG submitted a Citizen Petition to change the wording of the
existing labeling regulations to allow a USPS Post Office Box in lieu of a street address on
product labels. The petition was denied, but in the response the FDA provided additional information
that will be helpful to handcrafters. See the full details.
Further Information
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