Legislative battle over cosmetics regulations may not be pretty

Industry and public health groups are gearing up for a fight over the regulation of cosmetics, as the House begins consideration of sweeping Food and Drug Administration legislation.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a legislative hearing on an FDA user fee authorization draft bill in the coming weeks. The draft, only parts of which are available now, will include language to address how the FDA regulates cosmetics, said Debbee Keller, a spokeswoman for the committee.

"In addition to ensuring patients have access to these lifesaving and life-improving drugs and devices, this legislation will improve predictability, consistency and transparency, which will help support patients, jobs and innovation," Keller said. "The discussion draft, which is a starting-off point, does include a provision that would change FDA's regulation of cosmetics."

Public health advocates are pressing the committee to include legislation from Democratic Reps. Ed Markey (Mass.), Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) that includes several new measures to ensure the safety of cosmetics ingredients...

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http://www.eenews.net/public/EEDaily/2012/03/15/3