I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2878 
To require research facilities that use companion dogs, cats, or rabbits for 
research purposes and receive funding from the National Institutes of 
Health to offer such animals for adoption after completion of such 
research, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 26, 2023 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, and 
Mr. POSEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require research facilities that use companion dogs, cats, 
or rabbits for research purposes and receive funding 
from the National Institutes of Health to offer such 
animals for adoption after completion of such research, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Companion Animal Re-
lease from Experiments Act of 2023’’ or the ‘‘CARE Act 
of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress the finds the following: 
(1) The use of animals in research has been an 
issue of public concern since the mid-20th century, 
because animals used in research will, in most cases, 
experience fear, pain, confinement, and premature 
death. 
(2) Section 495 of the Health Research Exten-
sion Act is the statutory basis for the public health 
service policy of the Federal Government with re-
spect to humane care and use of laboratory animals. 
(3) Currently, the public health service policy of 
the Surgeon General does not cover the post re-
search treatment of such animals. 
(4) Animals used in research include animals 
commonly kept as companion animals by the public. 
(5) More than 64,000 dogs, 18,000 cats, and 
145,000 rabbits are used in experiments in the 
United States each year and much of the research 
is conducted at facilities that receive public funding 
through the National Institutes of Health. 
(6) Due to an absence of Federal requirements, 
15 States have enacted laws governing the post re-
search placement for dogs and cats used in publicly 
funded research institutions. 
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(7) A national requirement is needed to ensure 
that research institutions that receive tax payer 
funding establish adoption policies for companion 
animals that are no longer used for research, includ-
ing finding such animals a home and adopting trans-
parent policies concerning the success of such re-
quirement. 
SEC. 3. OFFERING DOGS, CATS, OR RABBITS USED IN RE-
SEARCH FACILITIES FOR ADOPTION. 
(a) ADOPTION GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH FACILI-
TIES.—Section 495(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 289d(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) by striking the ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (B); 
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (C) and inserting a semicolon; and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) develop and implement policies for the 
adoption of dogs, cats, or rabbits no longer needed 
for biomedical and behavioral research, including— 
‘‘(i) developing and making publicly avail-
able on the website of such research entity a 
policy for offering for adoption a dog, cat, or 
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rabbit no longer needed for biomedical and be-
havioral research; 
‘‘(ii) assessing the health of such dog, cat, 
or rabbit to determine whether such animal is 
suitable for adoption; and 
‘‘(iii) making reasonable efforts to offer for 
adoption any dog, cat, or rabbit deemed suit-
able for adoption, either through— 
‘‘(I) private placement; 
‘‘(II) an animal shelter; or 
‘‘(III) an animal adoption organiza-
tion; and 
‘‘(E) maintain records on dogs, cats, or rabbits 
used by the research entity and make such records 
publicly available on the website of such research en-
tity, including records on— 
‘‘(i) the number of dogs, cats, or rabbits 
used for research; 
‘‘(ii) the number of dogs, cats, or rabbits 
placed for adoption through private placement, 
animal shelter, or through an animal adoption 
organization; and 
‘‘(iii) the number of dogs, cats, or rabbits 
destroyed.’’. 
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(b) IMMUNITY AND ANIMAL ADOPTION ORGANIZA-
TION DEFINED.—Section 495 of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 289d) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(f) IMMUNITY.—A research facility that places a 
dog, cat, or rabbit for adoption consistent with the policies 
under subsection (b)(3)(D) is immune from any civil liabil-
ity in any Federal or State judicial or administrative pro-
ceeding arising out of any act or omission with respect 
to such dog, cat, or rabbit following the adoption of such 
dog, cat, or rabbit, except for willful or wanton mis-
conduct. 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 
following terms apply: 
‘‘(1) ANIMAL ADOPTION ORGANIZATION.—The 
term ‘animal adoption organization’ means an orga-
nization that— 
‘‘(A) rescues animals in need and finds 
permanent, adoptive homes for such animals; 
‘‘(B) is described in section 501(c)(3) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 
‘‘(C) is exempt from tax under section 
501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(2) ANIMAL
SHELTER.—The term ‘animal 
shelter’ means a facility that— 
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‘‘(A) accepts or seizes animals to care for 
such animals; and 
‘‘(B) places such animals in a permanent 
adoptive home. 
‘‘(3) PRIVATE PLACEMENT.—The term ‘private 
placement’ means an arrangement between the re-
search entity and an individual seeking to provide a 
permanent adoptive home for the animal pursuant to 
the adoption policy of such entity.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect 1 year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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