H.R. 4436 — Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2025

This section establishes a new research program under the Public Health Service Act on health disparities related to cosmetics impacting communities of color. It directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct or award grants—including for community-based participatory research—on (1) chemicals linked to adverse health effects commonly found in cosmetics marketed to women and girls of color (e.g., beauty, personal hygiene, and intimate care products); (2) usage patterns across their lifespans; (3) specific adverse health effects from exposure; and (4) interventions to reduce exposure or harm; and to disseminate results to aid communities in addressing unsafe chemical exposures. It further requires a report to specified congressional committees and public posting on the Department of Health and Human Services website within five years of the first grant, summarizing marketing strategies, product categories, demographics, and recommended public health strategies to reduce exposures. Grants are available to accredited institutions of higher education, community-based organizations, or nongovernmental organizations with expertise working with communities of color. The section authorizes $7.5 million for this purpose for the five-fiscal-year period beginning with the fiscal year of enactment.

This section establishes a five-year research program under HHS on health concerns from chemicals in cosmetics used by professional nail, hair, and beauty salon workers (i.e., licensed or nonlicensed cosmetologists, nail technicians, barbers, or estheticians applying cosmetics in business). The Secretary must conduct or award grants to accredited institutions of higher education, community-based organizations, or NGOs expert in communities of color or immigrant populations for epidemiological, clinical, ecological, and social scientific investigations into (1) chemicals linked to adverse health effects and most common in such cosmetics; (2) product types and categories containing them, plus safer alternatives; (3) specific adverse health effects on workers; and (4) exposure- or harm-reduction interventions; and must disseminate results to help workers identify and eliminate unsafe exposures. Not later than five years after the first grant, HHS must report to specified congressional committees on findings regarding chemicals, products, demographics of affected populations, and recommended occupational health strategies, with $7.5 million authorized over five fiscal years beginning with the year of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to award grants for research on designing cosmetic chemicals with no inherent toxicity or association with adverse health effects and authorizes $10 million for that purpose for the period beginning in the fiscal year of enactment through the fifth fiscal year commencing after the date of enactment. In awarding grants, the Secretary must prioritize applicants proposing to focus on (1) replacing chemicals in professional cosmetic products used by salon workers (i.e., licensed or nonlicensed cosmetologists, nail technicians, barbers, or estheticians applying cosmetics in their business) with non-toxic alternatives; (2) replacing chemicals in cosmetic products marketed to women and girls of color with non-toxic alternatives; or (3) assisting minority-owned cosmetic companies in creating safer formulations for products marketed to women or girls of color or salon workers.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to an eligible nonprofit organization to establish a National Resource Center on Beauty Justice to address unsafe cosmetic chemical exposures experienced by women and girls of color, men and boys of color, immigrant populations, language minorities, the LGBTQIA community, and other underserved populations. Eligible organizations must focus on eliminating toxic chemical exposures linked to disease and work with culturally and linguistically diverse minority communities underserved due to immigration status, geographic location, sexual orientation, gender identity, or language barriers. The center must use funds for community-driven activities, including (1) outreach and interventions to promote safe cosmetics; (2) targeted education strategies; (3) partnerships and training for stakeholders such as health professionals, salon workers, and community leaders; (4) curricula for schools and higher education; and (5) public campaigns. The grant recipient must submit annual reports to the Secretary and Congress beginning one year after enactment, which the Secretary must post publicly on the Office of Minority Health website. The section authorizes $2 million for each of FY2026 through 2030.

This section directs the Secretary of Labor to issue, not later than 18 months after enactment, a standard under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requiring safety data sheets (SDS) for cosmetics for professional use (i.e., products labeled for use only by licensed cosmetologists, nail care specialists, barbers, or estheticians) that contain hazardous chemicals classified as health hazards under OSHA regulations. The standard requires (1) manufacturers or importers to obtain or develop SDS—including information on hazardous ingredients (i.e., intentionally added chemicals with technical or functional effects, fragrances, preservatives, colorants, and components)—and make them available on their websites in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and other languages upon request, to distributors and employers such as salon or spa owners; (2) distributors to provide SDS in the manner required for chemical hazards under OSHA regulations; and (3) employers to maintain SDS in the workplace, make them available to exposed employees, and provide translations upon request. SDS must also include a statement on multilingual availability upon contacting the manufacturer.

This section directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to an eligible community-based or nonprofit organization to establish the National Resource Center on Salon Worker Health and Safety. The center addresses unsafe cosmetic chemical exposures experienced by women and girls of color, men and boys of color, immigrant populations, language minorities, the LGBTQIA community, and other underserved populations as determined by the Secretary; eligible grantees must focus on eliminating toxic chemical exposures linked to disease and work with culturally and linguistically diverse minority communities underserved due to immigration status, geographic location, sexual orientation, gender identity, or language barriers. Funds support salon worker-driven activities, including (1) developing and disseminating information, educational resources, training, and technical assistance such as a visual guide, training program, and video on safety data sheets; (2) conducting culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and interventions to select safe, non-toxic salon products; (3) creating outreach strategies, materials, and training for community-based organizations supporting diverse salon workers; and (4) developing partnerships and best practices for health care professionals, brand owners, and stakeholders to identify and treat health impacts from toxic exposures. The grantee must submit annual reports to the Secretary and Congress beginning one year after enactment, which the Food and Drug Administration must post publicly. This section authorizes $2 million for each of FY2026 through FY2030.

This section includes synthetic braids within the statutory definition of cosmetic by amending 21 U.S.C. 321(i) to specify that cosmetics include articles intended to alter "the appearance (including synthetic braids)"; deems a set of synthetic braids misbranded under 21 U.S.C. 362 if it fails to meet forthcoming FDA safety standards and either lacks a specified warning label on the product ("This product does not meet the FDA’s standard of safety for synthetic braids") or on the manufacturer's website; limits FDA preemption of state cosmetic laws under 21 U.S.C. 364j(b) to expressly preserve state authority for greater transparency, disclosure, or protection with respect to synthetic braids (or continuing any such requirements in effect as of enactment); and directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the FDA Commissioner, to issue implementing regulations not later than one year after enactment of this Act, including safety standards for synthetic braids.