[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2322 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2322

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain 
                   animals used in Federal research.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2019

 Ms. Collins (for herself, Mr. Peters, Ms. McSally, and Mrs. Shaheen) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain 
                   animals used in Federal research.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Animal Freedom from Testing, 
Experiments, and Research Act of 2019'' or the ``AFTER Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN FEDERAL RESEARCH.

    Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2144) is amended to 
read as follows:

``SEC. 14. STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FACILITIES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Animal rescue organization.--The term `animal rescue 
        organization' means a nonprofit organization the purpose of 
        which is to rescue covered animals and find permanent adoptive 
        homes for those animals.
            ``(2) Animal sanctuary.--The term `animal sanctuary' means 
        a nonprofit organization that--
                    ``(A) is registered with the Secretary;
                    ``(B) operates a place of refuge in which--
                            ``(i) a covered animal is provided care for 
                        the lifetime of the animal; and
                            ``(ii) an unescorted public visitation of 
                        that animal is not permitted;
                    ``(C) does not engage in commercial trade of 
                covered animals;
                    ``(D) does not breed covered animals;
                    ``(E) does not permit direct contact between the 
                public and covered animals;
                    ``(F) does not allow the use of a covered animal 
                for performance or exhibition purposes; and
                    ``(G) does not conduct or permit research on a 
                covered animal other than noninvasive behavioral 
                research.
            ``(3) Animal shelter.--The term `animal shelter' means a 
        facility that--
                    ``(A) accepts or seizes covered animals--
                            ``(i) to care for the animals;
                            ``(ii) to place those animals in a 
                        permanent adoptive home; or
                            ``(iii) for purposes of law enforcement; 
                        and
                    ``(B) does not--
                            ``(i) engage in commercial trade of covered 
                        animals;
                            ``(ii) breed covered animals;
                            ``(iii) allow the use of a covered animal 
                        for performance or exhibition purposes; or
                            ``(iv) conduct or permit research on a 
                        covered animal other than noninvasive 
                        behavioral research.
            ``(4) Covered animal.--The term `covered animal' means an 
        animal that is unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in need of 
        placement in a home.
            ``(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit 
        organization' means an organization described in section 
        501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from 
        taxation under section 501(a) of that Code.
            ``(6) Suitable for retirement.--The term ``suitable for 
        retirement'' means, with respect to an animal, that the animal 
        has been evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and is determined 
        to be mentally and physically healthy.
    ``(b) Laboratory Animal Facilities and Exhibitors.--Any department, 
agency, or instrumentality of the United States that operates 
laboratory animal facilities or exhibits animals shall comply with the 
standards and other requirements promulgated by the Secretary under 
subsections (a), (f), (g), and (h) of section 13.
    ``(c) Retirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
        enactment of the AFTER Act of 2019, any department, agency, or 
        instrumentality of the United States operating a Federal 
        research facility shall, after public notice and comment, 
        promulgate regulations that, with respect to any animal of the 
        facility that is no longer needed for research and determined 
        to be suitable for retirement--
                    ``(A) facilitate and encourage the adoption of the 
                animal by or placement of the animal with an animal 
                rescue organization, animal sanctuary, animal shelter, 
                or individual who intends to keep the animal as a pet; 
                and
                    ``(B) to the maximum extent practicable, 
                collaborate with appropriate nonprofit organizations to 
                carry out subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) National placement.--The regulations promulgated to 
        carry out paragraph (1)(A) shall include consideration of 
        placing animals with the entities described in that 
        subparagraph that are located beyond the immediate geographic 
        vicinity of the Federal research facility at which the animal 
        being retired is located.''.
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