Pennsylvania would limit animal research funding and certain animal tests

Recipients would face limits on using Pennsylvania state money for research involving dogs and cats. These limits would cover public and private recipients of money from Pennsylvania's State Treasury. The painful-research restriction covers United States Department of Agriculture pain and distress categories D or E when research is not solely for the animal's health, welfare, or safety. That restriction excludes buildings, general-use equipment, overhead, improvements, and salaries. State money could not pay for surgery intended to reduce an animal's voice, obtaining animals that had that surgery, or research involving those animals. Failure to meet a duty under the experimentation rules would bar a person from receiving state money for one year from the failure. These restrictions would take effect 180 days after enactment. The one-year funding penalty would run from the failure to comply.

Covered facilities and animal suppliers would offer dogs and cats they no longer need for adoption. Coverage would include dog and cat testing facilities, federally regulated research breeders, and suppliers selling or transferring cats to testing facilities or dogs to testing facilities or research kennels. Release would be required only when it would not threaten public health, public safety, or the animal's welfare. Offers would stay open for a reasonable time of at least 21 days before the animal could be put to death. State agency and college testing facilities could run their own adoption programs. The state-funded facility rules would also require those programs to meet the cited recordkeeping rules. Those placing animals in good faith under these rules would not be liable for harm caused by, or a defect suffered by, those animals. These duties would take effect 180 days after enactment.

Dealers and kennels would face sales limits and license revocation rules. Covered workers would receive protection for good faith reports of possible violations. The sales limits would cover dogs and cats bred by people with specified United States Department of Agriculture citations. Worker protections would cover employees of organizations subject to the sale rules. The sales ban would cover breeders with one direct or critical federal citation, or at least three indirect or noncritical citations, during the two years before the animal was obtained. It would also cover breeders with two consecutive federal citations for inspectors having no access to an animal housing facility before the animal was obtained. Pennsylvania's Agriculture Secretary would revoke kennel, dealer, or out-of-state dealer licenses after convictions under the cited federal animal welfare or animal crushing laws. Workers' protections would cover good faith reports of possible violations of these sale rules, Pennsylvania's Dog Law, or the cited federal animal welfare law. Violating the sale rules would be a third-degree misdemeanor, a criminal offense. These provisions would take effect 180 days after enactment.

Pennsylvania product testers would avoid animal tests when the responsible regulator approves an alternative or makes a waiver available, with exceptions for agency requirements. The rules would cover facilities testing products such as chemicals, drugs, and vaccines in Pennsylvania, using living animals with backbones other than humans. Pennsylvania's Attorney General could ask a court to stop violations and grant other suitable relief. An approved alternative would use no animals and provide information of equal or better scientific quality and relevance. When no approved alternative or waiver is available, testers would use as few animals as possible and reduce their pain, suffering, and stress. The rules would exclude research into disease and basic biological processes. That exclusion would not cover product safety or effectiveness tests. Animal tests could continue to meet federal or state agency requirements, including written requests finding them necessary for consumer health or safety. Other non-animal methods would remain allowed. These testing rules would take effect 180 days after enactment.

Research applicants, colleges, animal suppliers, product testers, and state officials would disclose funding, animal use, and compliance information. Pennsylvania's Treasurer would publish state-funded animal research spending and project details. The Agriculture Department would report collected information, complaints, enforcement, and penalties to legislative agriculture committees. Bidders for state-funded dog and cat projects would disclose state and nongovernmental funding amounts and shares in bids, proposals, and other records identifying the project. State-funded Pennsylvania colleges using animals in research would publish spending, project details, compliance findings, animal outcomes, committee rosters, and efforts to reduce animal use. Their stated deadline is April 1, 2026; the wording does not expressly repeat it yearly. Covered research breeders and suppliers would keep animal records open to inspection and submit annual summaries. Covered facilities and suppliers would report adoptions each year. Product testers would report animal use, alternatives, waivers, and reasons for testing choices by June 30, 2026, and each June 30 thereafter. They would publish reports within 90 days of submission. The act would take effect 180 days after enactment. Treasury reports would begin within 180 days after effectiveness, then each March 1. Agriculture reports would be due July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter.