I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2850 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that healthy research 

dogs and cats are adopted into suitable homes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2019 

Miss RICE of New York (for herself and Mr. KATKO) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that 

healthy research dogs and cats are adopted into suitable 

homes. 

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 ‘‘Humane Retirement 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADOPTION POLICY FOR PUB7 LIC HEALTH SERVICE AGENCIES WITH RE8 SPECT TO RETIRED DOGS AND CATS. 

9 Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

10 U.S.C. 289d) is amended by adding the following: 


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1 ‘‘(f) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADOPTION POLICY FOR

2 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE AGENCIES WITH RESPECT TO

3 RETIRED DOGS AND CATS.— 

4 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning one year after 

5 the date of the enactment of this subsection, guide6 lines of the Secretary under subsection (a)(3) shall 

7 require animal care committees described in such 

8 subsection that conduct biomedical and behavioral 

9 research at Public Health Service funded Federal 

10 agencies to, after the completion of any testing or 

11 research involving a dog or cat and prior to 

12 euthanizing such dog or cat, make a reasonable ef13 fort to offer such dog or cat for adoption, if suitable, 

14 in accordance with the following: 

15 ‘‘(A) Such an animal care committee shall, 

16 after the completion of such testing or research 

17 involving a dog or cat and prior to euthanizing 

18 such dog or cat, assess the health and tempera19 ment of the dog or cat and determine whether 

20 it is suitable for adoption. 

21 ‘‘(B) If found to be suitable for adoption, 

22 such an animal care committee shall make rea23 sonable efforts to offer for adoption the dog or 

24 cat to an adopting party. 


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1 ‘‘(2) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

2 this subsection shall be construed as— 

3 ‘‘(A) creating a duty upon an adopting 

4 party to accept a dog or cat offered by an ani5 mal care committee described in paragraph (1); 

6 or 

7 ‘‘(B) prohibiting such committee from 

8 euthanizing a dog or cat if the requirements of 

9 this subsection are otherwise met. 

10 ‘‘(3) LIABILITY.—An animal care committee de11 scribed in paragraph (1) and any officer, director, 

12 employee, or agent of such committee are immune 

13 from civil liability for any act or omission relating to 

14 the adoption of a dog or cat pursuant to this sub15 section. 

16 ‘‘(4) ADOPTING PARTY DEFINED.—For pur17 poses of this subsection, the term ‘adopting party’ 

18 means— 

19 ‘‘(A) an individual adopting a dog or cat 

20 through private placement; 

21 ‘‘(B) an animal rescue organization; 

22 ‘‘(C) an animal shelter organization; 

23 ‘‘(D) a society for the prevention of cruelty 

24 to animals; 

25 ‘‘(E) a humane society; or 


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1 ‘‘(F) an animal protective association that 

2 operates physical animal sheltering facilities 

3 and offers households pets to the public for 

4 adoption by way of an established adoption pro5 gram.’’. 

Æ 


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