Since 2012 when a House committee held the last cosmetics hearing, industry generally has warmed to – or resigned itself to – legislative proposals to update the cosmetics regulatory system. However, there is still not consensus on the details among big business, SMEs and consumer advocates, all of which will be represented at the Senate HELP Committee’s witness table.

Like the Personal Care Products Safety Act in the Senate, a bipartisan discussion draft from New Jersey congressmen Frank Pallone and Leonard Lance would require registration and fees from industry while giving FDA ingredient-review duties and recall authority. 2017 could be the year that cosmetics reform legislation goes the distance, but first the Senate will be holding a related hearing September 22.

In an update on discussions with industry about potential user fees to support FDA's OTC monograph program, CDER officials say "industry and public would suffer" absent new fees.