Bill Summary
This bill, titled the "Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2019" or the "AFTER Act of 2019," aims to amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain animals used in federal research. It specifies definitions for terms such as "animal rescue organization," "animal sanctuary," "animal shelter," "covered animal," "nonprofit organization," and "suitable for retirement." It also requires all federal agencies operating laboratory animal facilities or exhibiting animals to comply with standards and regulations set forth by the Secretary of the United States. Additionally, the bill mandates that within 90 days of its enactment, all federal research facilities must create regulations to facilitate the retirement of animals that are no longer needed for research and are deemed suitable for retirement. These regulations must encourage the adoption or placement of the animal with an animal rescue organization, sanctuary, shelter, or individual who will provide a permanent home for the animal. The bill also allows for consideration of placing animals with appropriate entities located outside of the immediate geographic vicinity of the federal research facility.
Possible Impacts
1. The ``Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2019'' or the ``AFTER Act of 2019'' could affect people by limiting the use of animals in certain types of research conducted by federal agencies. This could potentially impact researchers who rely on animal testing in their work, as well as organizations that provide animals for research purposes.
2. The definition of "suitable for retirement" in the legislation means that animals that are deemed mentally and physically healthy must be retired from federal research facilities. This could potentially affect the animals themselves, as they may be relocated to new homes or facilities, as well as the staff working at those facilities who may have to make arrangements for the animals' retirement.
3. The regulations outlined in the legislation require collaboration with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, and individuals for the adoption or placement of retired animals. This could have a positive impact on these organizations, as they may receive a higher number of animals in need of adoption or placement. Additionally, individuals who are interested in adopting a retired animal may be affected by the regulations as they may have to go through a specific process in order to adopt an animal from a federal research facility.
[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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