The bill reflects a new reality for manufacturers of personal care products, which face more pressure than ever to respond to consumer concerns.

Regulating cosmetics has not changed much since passage of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in 1938. The F.D.A. can only ask companies to voluntarily recall products, and manufacturers are not legally required to disclose adverse health effects reported by consumers. (Many manufacturers say they do so anyway.)

“Most consumers don’t have much faith in voluntary company commitments,” Mr. Faber said. “The absence of a credible regulator has undermined consumer confidence in everyday products.”

Various efforts to get stronger legislation passed over the years have failed.

John Hurson, the executive vice president of government affairs at the Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group, said of the new bill, “There were things that we liked more than others, but it is a compromise, and that’s a first.”

The F.D.A. expressed dismay last year at some proposals offered by trade organizations like Mr. Hurson’s and said it would drop negotiations with industry groups for new rules.