II 

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. 

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’’. 

7 SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN FEDERAL RE8 SEARCH. 

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

10 2144) is amended to read as follows: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•S 2322 IS

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

2 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

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

4 term ‘animal rescue organization’ means a nonprofit 

5 organization the purpose of which is to rescue cov6 ered animals and find permanent adoptive homes for 

7 those animals. 

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

9 sanctuary’ means a nonprofit organization that— 

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

11 ‘‘(B) operates a place of refuge in which— 

12 ‘‘(i) a covered animal is provided care 

13 for the lifetime of the animal; and 

14 ‘‘(ii) an unescorted public visitation of 

15 that animal is not permitted; 

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

17 of covered animals; 

18 ‘‘(D) does not breed covered animals; 

19 ‘‘(E) does not permit direct contact be20 tween the public and covered animals; 

21 ‘‘(F) does not allow the use of a covered 

22 animal for performance or exhibition purposes; 

23 and 

24 ‘‘(G) does not conduct or permit research 

25 on a covered animal other than noninvasive be26 havioral research. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•S 2322 IS

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

2 shelter’ means a facility that— 

3 ‘‘(A) accepts or seizes covered animals— 

4 ‘‘(i) to care for the animals; 

5 ‘‘(ii) to place those animals in a per6 manent adoptive home; or 

7 ‘‘(iii) for purposes of law enforcement; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(B) does not— 

10 ‘‘(i) engage in commercial trade of 

11 covered animals; 

12 ‘‘(ii) breed covered animals; 

13 ‘‘(iii) allow the use of a covered ani14 mal for performance or exhibition pur15 poses; or 

16 ‘‘(iv) conduct or permit research on a 

17 covered animal other than noninvasive be18 havioral research. 

19 ‘‘(4) COVERED ANIMAL.—The term ‘covered 

20 animal’ means an animal that is unwanted, aban21 doned, or otherwise in need of placement in a home. 

22 ‘‘(5) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

23 ‘nonprofit organization’ means an organization de24 scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•S 2322 IS

1 Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under sec2 tion 501(a) of that Code. 

3 ‘‘(6) SUITABLE FOR RETIREMENT.—The term 

4 ‘‘suitable for retirement’’ means, with respect to an 

5 animal, that the animal has been evaluated by a li6 censed veterinarian and is determined to be mentally 

7 and physically healthy. 

8 ‘‘(b) LABORATORY ANIMAL FACILITIES AND EXHIBI9 TORS.—Any department, agency, or instrumentality of the 

10 United States that operates laboratory animal facilities or 

11 exhibits animals shall comply with the standards and other 

12 requirements promulgated by the Secretary under sub13 sections (a), (f), (g), and (h) of section 13. 

14 ‘‘(c) RETIREMENT.— 

15 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 

16 after the date of enactment of the AFTER Act of 

17 2019, any department, agency, or instrumentality of 

18 the United States operating a Federal research facil19 ity shall, after public notice and comment, promul20 gate regulations that, with respect to any animal of 

21 the facility that is no longer needed for research and 

22 determined to be suitable for retirement— 

23 ‘‘(A) facilitate and encourage the adoption 

24 of the animal by or placement of the animal 

25 with an animal rescue organization, animal 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•S 2322 IS

1 sanctuary, animal shelter, or individual who in2 tends to keep the animal as a pet; and 

3 ‘‘(B) to the maximum extent practicable, 

4 collaborate with appropriate nonprofit organiza5 tions to carry out subparagraph (A). 

6 ‘‘(2) NATIONAL PLACEMENT.—The regulations 

7 promulgated to carry out paragraph (1)(A) shall in8 clude consideration of placing animals with the enti9 ties described in that subparagraph that are located 

10 beyond the immediate geographic vicinity of the 

11 Federal research facility at which the animal being 

12 retired is located.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS