The New York State Assembly Chooses to Continue to Expose New Yorkers to Toxic Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Other Personal Care Products
Passed by the Senate, the Beauty Justice Act Dies in the Assembly, Again
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2026
Contact: Chris Dobens, 718-679-8542, chris@weact.org
NEW YORK – WE ACT for Environmental Justice is disappointed with Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie for failing to even bring the New York State Beauty Justice Act (S.2057B/A.2054B) to a vote in the Assembly. The State Senate had passed the bill earlier, as they had done last year as well, but the Assembly blocked the bill for two years in a row – despite having 101 Assembly co-sponsors of this legislation.
“By blocking a vote on this critical environmental health bill, Speaker Carl Heastie and the Assembly leadership failed to protect New Yorkers – especially communities of color and low-income, who are disproportionately impacted by exposure to toxic ingredients that are all too common in personal care products,” said Briana Carbajal, State Legislative Manager at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “It’s a shame that the Assembly has chosen not to protect New Yorkers. We deserve leadership that puts people before the agendas of special interest groups.”
The bill would have banned the intentional use of the worst toxic ingredients in cosmetics and other personal care products, particularly those that have disproportionately impacted women and people of color. WE ACT and its fellow advocates in the JustGreen Partnership have been advocating for the passage of this legislation for more than four years.
Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, obesity, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. People of color are at the greatest risk because they typically use more of these products and are exposed to more toxic chemicals in general.
“We thank the lead sponsors, Senator Lea Webb and Assemblymember Deborah Glick, as well as Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for their leadership on this bill,” added Carbajal. “It’s a shame that the Assembly leadership chose to block it because not only would it have protected New Yorkers from exposure to toxic ingredients, but – given how major a market New York is – the legislation could have forced manufacturers to make sure their products are much safer in other states as well, which would have benefited all Americans.”
# # #
WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan-based, membership-driven organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents are meaningfully included in the development of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Visit us at weact.org and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram.