I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2897 

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the adoption or non-laboratory 

placement of certain animals used in Federal research, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2019 

Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. 

TED LIEU of California, Mr. MAST, Mr. GAETZ, Ms. DEAN, Mr. BISHOP

of Georgia, Mr. STAUBER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 

COHEN, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. TITUS, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, and 

Mr. CRIST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the adoption 

or non-laboratory placement of certain animals used in 

Federal research, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Animal Freedom from 

5 Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2019’’ or the 

6 ‘‘AFTER Act of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN FEDERAL RE2 SEARCH. 

3 Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 

4 2144) is amended to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘SEC. 14. STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FACILITIES. 

6 ‘‘(a) LABORATORY ANIMAL FACILITIES AND EXHIBI7 TORS.—Any department, agency, or instrumentality of the 

8 United States having laboratory animal facilities or exhib9 iting animals shall comply with the standards and other 

10 requirements promulgated by the Secretary under sections 

11 13(a), (f), (g), and (h). 

12 ‘‘(b) ADOPTION AND NON-LABORATORY PLACE13 MENT.—Any department, agency, or instrumentality of 

14 the United States operating as a Federal research facility 

15 shall, not later than 90 days after the date of the enact16 ment of this subsection, promulgate standards and other 

17 requirements that, in the determination of the depart18 ment, agency, or instrumentality, facilitates the adoption 

19 or non-laboratory placement of any animal of the facility 

20 no longer needed for research and determined to be suit21 able for release to an animal rescue organization, animal 

22 sanctuary, animal shelter, or individual. 

23 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

24 ‘‘(1) ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANIZATION.—The 

25 term ‘animal rescue organization’ means an organi26 zation— 


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1 ‘‘(A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the 

2 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt 

3 from taxation under section 501(a) of such 

4 Code; and 

5 ‘‘(B) with the purpose of rescuing animals 

6 that are unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in 

7 need of placement and finding permanent adop8 tive homes for such animals. 

9 ‘‘(2) ANIMAL SANCTUARY.—The term ‘animal 

10 sanctuary’ means an organization described in sec11 tion 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 

12 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of 

13 such Code that— 

14 ‘‘(A) is registered with the Secretary; 

15 ‘‘(B) operates a place of refuge— 

16 ‘‘(i) where an unwanted, displaced, or 

17 retired animal is provided care for the life18 time of such animal; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) where an unescorted public visi20 tation of such an animal is not permitted; 

21 ‘‘(C) does not engage in commercial trade 

22 of such an animal; 

23 ‘‘(D) does not breed such an animal; 

24 ‘‘(E) does not permit direct contact be25 tween the public and such an animal; 


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1 ‘‘(F) does not allow the use of such an ani2 mal for performance or exhibition purposes; and 

3 ‘‘(G) does not conduct research that pains 

4 or distresses such an animal. 

5 ‘‘(3) ANIMAL SHELTER.—The term ‘animal 

6 shelter’ means a facility that accepts or seizes ani7 mals to care for such animals, place such animals in 

8 a permanent adoptive home, or carry out law en9 forcement purposes.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS