The sale of cosmetics developed using animal testing would be banned in Pennsylvania beginning in 2027, under legislation approved by the state Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Bill 381, dubbed the Beagle Bill by lawmakers and advocates, was inspired by a 2022 case in which dozens of beagles were rescued from a Virginia lab whose operator was charged with violating federal animal welfare laws.

The cosmetics animal-testing ban would not apply to products that were created with animal testing that took place prior to the 2027 start date in SB 381.

The Senate approved the bill unanimously. It now goes to the House for consideration.

If the bill is approved by the House and signed by the governor, Pennsylvania would become the 13th state to ban the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, said Kristen Tullo, PA state director for Humane World for Animals.

“We’re thrilled to see the Beagle Bill gaining the recognition it deserves. If passed, it would prohibit laboratories from using Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars to fund painful experiments on dogs and cats where no relief is given,” Tullo said. We’re hopeful the full House will vote on the bill when they are back in session.”

Senate Bill 381 would also set new recordkeeping requirements, require testing labs to report how much they receive in state funding for animal testing, and bar the use of state tax dollars for painful product testing on cats and dogs.

The legislation also requires animal testing labs to make animals available for adoption once they are no longer being used for testing.

“The only thing Pennsylvania should be testing in beagles is belly rubs and squeaky toys,” Mastriano said ahead of the Senate vote.

Animal rights groups say there are more than a dozen labs in Pennsylvania that use dogs and cats for experiments to assess the effects of drugs, pesticides, chemicals and other products.