Bill would restrict HHS funding for research using dogs and cats

Health and Human Services agencies would be barred from directly or indirectly funding covered medical research involving live dogs or cats. Exclusions include research solely about dog or cat health and observation without changing animals’ surroundings, bodies, behavior, or medical care. Comparative clinical studies of privately owned dogs or cats with naturally occurring disease would be excluded when testing or developing treatments potentially relevant to human disease. The health secretary could grant emergency waivers only when no scientifically valid alternative is reasonably available and denial would likely cause a significant, immediate public health or national security threat. Waivers would require a declared public health or national emergency, or a national security emergency directly affecting the United States. Their scope and duration must be the minimum needed. The rules would apply to federal money committed or spent on or after 180 days after enactment. Waivers would expire within 180 days unless renewed.

Funding recipients would have to make reasonable placement efforts for retired research animals and limit euthanasia. Placement duties would cover dogs and cats no longer needed for medical research. The euthanasia condition would cover any live dog or cat held by a funding recipient. Placement efforts must respect animal health, veterinary judgment, public safety, and applicable law. A licensed veterinarian must find euthanasia necessary for medical, behavioral, animal welfare, or public safety reasons. Emergency waivers would require no reasonably available scientifically valid alternative and a likely significant, immediate public health or national security threat. Their scope and duration must be the minimum needed. These conditions would apply to federal money committed or spent on or after 180 days after enactment.

Recipients would have to certify compliance and keep records showing that they followed the rules. These duties would cover recipients of HHS agency funding. The health secretary could withhold funding or recover money spent in violation after finding a violation in writing. Recipients would receive notice and a reasonable chance to respond unless the secretary found immediate action necessary to protect federal interests. The rules would cover federal money committed or spent on or after 180 days after enactment. Certifications would be annual; records must remain for at least six years after funding arrives.

Funding recipients could not punish people for reporting suspected violations in good faith or taking other protected steps. Protection would cover employees, contractors, students, trainees, and other individuals. Protection would also cover helping investigations and refusing conduct reasonably believed to violate the rules. The health secretary would establish a complaint process and could require corrective action, including restoring a person’s job, as a condition of continued funding. These protections would apply to federal money committed or spent on or after 180 days after enactment.