AFTER Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-5244
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2]
Introduced: 2021-09-14
Policy area: Animals
Latest action: action_date: 2021-10-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-09-14
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021</strong></p> <p>This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters,&nbsp;and&nbsp;rabbits)&nbsp;with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be&nbsp;needed for research; (2)&nbsp;be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5244 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 14, 2021 Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania (for himself and Ms. Mace ) 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. Short Title This Act may be cited as the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 . 2. Placement of animals used in Federal research Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act ( 7 U.S.C. 2144 ) is amended to read as follows: 14. Standards for Federal facilities (a) Laboratory animal facilities and exhibitors Any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States having laboratory animal facilities or exhibiting animals shall comply with the standards and other requirements promulgated by the Secretary under sections 13(a), (f), (g), and (h). (b) Adoption and non-Laboratory placement Any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States operating as a Federal research facility shall, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, promulgate standards and other requirements that, in the determination of the department, agency, or instrumentality, facilitates the adoption or non-laboratory placement of any animal of the facility no longer needed for research and determined to be suitable for release to an animal rescue organization, animal sanctuary, animal shelter, or individual. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Animal rescue organization The term animal rescue organization means an organization— (A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code; and (B) with the purpose of rescuing animals that are unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in need of placement and finding permanent adoptive homes for such animals. (2) Animal sanctuary The term animal sanctuary means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code that— (A) is registered with the Secretary; (B) operates a place of refuge— (i) where an unwanted, displaced, or retired animal is provided care for the lifetime of such animal; and (ii) where an unescorted public visitation of such an animal is not permitted; (C) does not engage in commercial trade of such an animal; (D) does not breed such an animal; (E) does not permit direct contact between the public and such an animal; (F) does not allow the use of such an animal for performance or exhibition purposes; and (G) does not conduct research that pains or distresses such an animal. (3) Animal shelter The term animal shelter means a facility that accepts or seizes animals to care for such animals, place such animals in a permanent adoptive home, or carry out law enforcement purposes. .