The 'Beagle Bill' is law after a year in a House committee and no recorded no votes at the end

Pennsylvania now limits state money for experiments on dogs and cats and bars the sale of cosmetics tested on animals, after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 381 on Oct. 22, City & State Pennsylvania reported.

Known as the "Beagle Bill," the law also makes organizations that test on animals more transparent and requires labs to make dogs and cats available for adoption when they are done with them, according to City & State. Spotlight PA listed the animal testing bill among the few high-profile measures to reach the governor in the session's final week.

For shoppers, the change shows up on store shelves: cosmetics developed through animal testing can't be sold in Pennsylvania once the ban applies. For families who adopt pets, it opens a path for retired lab dogs and cats to find homes.

Background

When the Senate first passed the bill in September 2025, the Altoona Mirror reported that the cosmetics sales ban would start in 2027 and exempt products tested on animals before then, and that labs would have to report how much state money they get for animal testing. The House amended the bill in 2026, so readers should check the final text for exact dates.

The prime sponsor, Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Franklin County Republican, said before the 2025 Senate vote that "the only thing Pennsylvania should be testing in beagles is belly rubs and squeaky toys," the Altoona Mirror reported. Humane World for Animals, which backed the bill, said Pennsylvania would become the 13th state to ban the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, according to the same report.

What the records add

Co-sponsors from both parties. The bill page lists 15 co-sponsors: eight Democrats, including Sens. Carolyn Comitta, Wayne Fontana and Judith Schwank, and seven Republicans, including Sens. Kristin Phillips-Hill, Dave Argall and Devlin Robinson.

Unanimous at every final step. The Senate passed the bill 50-0 on Sept. 10, 2025. The House passed its amended version 203-0 on Oct. 19, 2026, and the Senate agreed to the House changes 50-0 the next day.

The one no vote. The only recorded no vote on the Senate floor came in August 2025, on an amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman. It passed 48-1, with Democratic Sen. Timothy Kearney voting no.

Where it waited. The bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee on Sept. 11, 2025, and stayed there for more than a year. The committee amended it and voted it out 26-0 on Sept. 24, 2026, and formally reported it four days later. After that, it took less than four weeks to become law. From introduction on March 6, 2025, to signature, the bill took 595 days.

What happens next

The law is Act 92 of 2026. The state will need to apply the new limits on funding for dog and cat experiments, and retailers will need to follow the cosmetics rules on the dates set in the final law.

Act 92 was one of 58 bills Shapiro signed on Oct. 22. See our roundup for others.