An Act to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the transportation, sale, and handling of dogs, cats, and other animals intended to be used for purposes of research or experimentation, and for other purposes
PL 89-544 (H.R.13881), enacted 08/24/1966

350 
PUBLIC LAW 89-543-AUG. 23, 1966 
[80 STAT. 
Public Law 89-543 
August 23, 1966 
[H. R. 11671] 
El Paso County 
Water Improvement 
District No. 1. 
Contract. 
AN ACT 
To approve a contract negotiated with the EI Paso County Water Improveipent 
District Numbered 1, Texas, to authorize the execution, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the proposed 
contract designated "FST031765" negotiated by the Secretary of the 
Interior with the El Paso County Water Improvement District Num-
bered 1, Texas, to extend the period for repayment of reimbursftble-
costs incurred on the Rio Grande project for construction and for 
rehabilitation and betterment work and to establish a variable repay-
ment schedule for such costs allocated to this district is approved and 
the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to execute such 
contract on behalf of the United States. 
Approved August 23, 1966. 
August 24, 1966 
[H. R. 13881] 
Dogs, cats, and 
other animals in-
tended for research 
or experimental 
use. 
Definitions. 
Public Law 89-544 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to regulate the transportation, sale, 
and handling of dogs, cats, and certain other animals intended to be used for 
purposes of research or experimentation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the SenMe and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That, in order to 
protect the owners of dogs and cats from theft of such pets, to prevent 
the sale or use of dogs and cats which have been stolen, and to insure 
that certain animals intended for use in research facilities are provided 
humane care and treatment, it is essential to regulate the transporta-
tion, purchase, sale, housing, care, handling, and treatment of such 
animals by persons or organizations engaged m using them for research 
or experimental purposes or in transporting, buying, or selling them 
for such use. 
SEC. 2. When used in this Act— 
(a) The term "person" includes any individual, partnership, firm, 
joint stock company, corporation, association, trust, estate, or other 
legal entity; 
(b) The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture; 
(c) The term "commerce" means commerce between any State, ter-
ritory, possession, or the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, and any place outside thereof; or between points 
within the same State, territory, or possession, or the District of Colum-
bia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, but through any place 
outside thereof; or within any territory, possession, or the District of 
Columbia; 
(d) The term "dog" means any live dog (Canis familiaris) ; 
(e) The term "cat" means any live cat (Felis catus) ; 
(f) The term "research facility" means any school, institution, or-
ganization, or person that uses or intends to use dogs or cats in re-
search, tests, or experiments, and that (1) purchases or transports 
dogs or cats in commerce,, or (2) receives funds under a grant, award, 
loan, or contract from a department, agency, or instrumentality of the 
United States for the purpose of carrying out research, tests, or 
experiments; 
(g) The term "dealer" means any person who for compensation or 
profit delivers for transportation, or transports, except as a common 
carrier, buys, or sells dogs or cats in commerce for research purposes; 
80 
STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-544-AUG. 24, 1966 
351 
(h) The term "animal" means live dogs, cats, monkeys (nonhuman 
primate mammals), guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits. 
SEC. 3. The Secretary shall issue licenses to dealers upon applica-
tion therefor in such form and manner as he m.ay prescribe and upon 
payment of such fee established pursuant to section 23 of this Act: 
Provided^ That no such license shall be issued until the dealer shall 
have demonstrated that his facilities comply with the standards 
promulgated by the Secretary pursuant to section 13 of this Act: Pro-
vided^ however^ That any person who derives less than a substantial 
portion of his income (as determined by the Secretary) from the 
breeding and raising of dogs or cats on his own premises and sells 
any such dog or cat to a dealer or research facility shall not be re-
quired to obtain a license as a dealer under this Act. The Secretary 
is further authorized to license, as dealers, persons who do not qualify 
as dealers within the meaning of this Act upon such persons' comply-
ing with the requirements specified above and agreeing, in writing, to 
comply with all the requirements of this Act and the regulations 
promulgated by the Secretary hereunder. 
SEC. 4. No dealer shall sell or ojffer to sell or transport or offer for 
transportation to any research facility any dog or cat, or buy, sell, offer 
to buy or sell, transport or offer for transportation in conmierce to or 
from another dealer under this Act any dog or cat, unless and until such 
dealer shall have obtained a license from the Secretary and such license 
shall not have been suspended or revoked. 
SEC. 5. No dealer shall sell or otherwise dispose of anjr dog or cat 
within a period of five business days after the acquisition of such 
animal or within such other period as may be specified oy the Secretary. 
SEC. 6. Every research facility shall register with the Secretary m 
accordance with such rules and regulations as he may prescribe. 
SEC. 7. It shall be unlawful for any research facility to purchase any 
dog or cat from any person except a person holding a valid license as a 
dealer issued by the Secretary pursuant to this Act unless such person 
is exempted from obtaining such license under section 3 of this Act. 
SEC. 8. No department, agency, or instrumentality of the United 
States which uses animals for research or experimentation shall pur-
chase or otherwise acquire any dog or cat for such purposes from any 
person except a person holding a valid license as a dealer issued by 
the Secretary pursuant to this Act unless such person is exempted 
from obtaining such license under section 3 of this Act. 
SEC. 9. When construing or enforcing the provisions of this Act, 
the act, omission, or failure of any individual acting for or employed 
by a research facility or a dealer, or a person licensed as a dealer pur-
suant to the second sentence of section 3, within the scope of his employ-
ment or office, shall be deemed the act, omission, or failure of such 
research facility, dealer, or other person as well as of such individual. 
SEC. 10. Research facilities and dealers shall make, and retain for 
such reasonable period of time as the Secretary may prescribe, such 
records with respect to the purchase, sale, transportation, identifica-
tion, and previous ownership of dogs and cats but not monkeys, guinea 
pigs, hamsters, or rabbits as the Secretary may prescribe, upon forms 
supplied by the Secretary. Such records shall be made available at 
all reasonable times for inspection by the Secretary, by any Federal 
officer or employee designated by the Secretary. 
SEC. 11. All dogs and cats delivered for transportation, transported, 
purchased, or sold in commerce by any dealer shall be marked or identi-
fied at such time and in such humane manner as the Secretary may 
prescribe. 
SEC. 12. The Secretary ii authorized to promulgate humane stand-
ards and recordkeeping requirements governing the purchase, han-
Licenses to 
dealers. 
License re quire-
Registration. 
Purchase re 
strictions. 
Transactions by 
U.S. agencies. 
Enforcement. 
Recordkeeping. 
Identification. 
Humane stand-
ards, promulg:a-
tion. 
352 
PUBLIC LAW 89-544-AUG. 24, 1966 
[80 STAT. 
dling, or sale of dogs or cats by dealers or research facilities at auction 
sales. 
SEC. 13. The Secretary shall establish and promulgate standards to 
govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of 
animals hj dealers and research facilities. Such standards shall in-
clude minimum requirements with respect to the housing, feeding, 
watering, sanitation, ventilation, shelter from extremes of weather 
and temperature, separation by species, and adequate veterinary care. 
The foregoing shall not be construed as authoTizing the Secretary to 
prescribe standards for the handling, care, or treatment of animals 
during actual research or experimentation by a research facility as 
determined by such research facility. 
Compliance by 
gj,(. i^^ j^^ij department, agency, or instrumentality of the United 
. agencies. 
g^^tes haviug laboratory animal facilities shall comply with the stand-
ards promulgated by the Secretary for a research facility under sec-
tion 13. 
SEC. 15. (a) The Secretary shall consult and cooperate with other 
Federal departments, agencies, or instrumentalities concerned with the 
welfare of animals used for research or experimentation when estab-
lishing standards pursuant to section 13 and in carrying out the pur-
poses of this Act. 
(b) The Secretary is authorized to cooperate with the officials of 
the various States or political subdivisions thereof in effectuating the 
purposes of this Act and of any State, local, or municipal legislation or 
ordinance on the same subject. 
Investigations 
gj,<^_ iQ^ -pj^g Secretary shall make such investigations or inspections 
or inspec ions. 
^^ ^^^ dccms ueccssary to determine whether any dealer or research 
facility has violated or is violating any provision of this Act or any 
regulation issued thereunder. 
The Secretary shall promulgate such 
rules and regulations as he deems necessary to permit inspectors to 
confiscate or destroy in a humane manner any animals found to be 
suffering as a result of a failure to comply with any provision of this 
Act or any regulation issued thereunder if (1) such animals are held 
by a dealer, or (2) such animals are held by a research facility and are 
no longer required by such research facility to carry out the research, 
test, or experiment for which such animals have been utilized. 
SEC. 17. The Secretary shall issue rules and regulations requiring 
licensed dealers and research facilities to permit inspection of their 
animals and records at reasonable hours upon request by legally con-
stituted law enforcement agencies in search of lost animals. 
SEC. 18. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the 
Secretary to promulgate rules, regulations, or orders for the handling, 
care, treatment, or inspection ot animals during actual research or 
experimentation by a research facility as determined by such research 
facility. 
Suspension of 
g^c. 19. (a) If the Secretary has rcasou to believe that auy persou 
dealer's license, 
licensed as a dealer has violated or is violating any provision of this 
Act or any of the rules or regulations promulgated by the Secretary 
hereunder, the Secretary may suspend such person's license. tempo-
rarily, but not to exceed twenty-one days, and, after notice and oppor-
tunity for hearing, may suspend for such additional period as he may 
specify or revoke such license, if such violation is determined to have 
occurred ajid may make an order that such person shall cease and 
desist from continuing such violation. 
Judicial review. 
(|j^ ^j^y (jealer aggrieved by a final order of the Secretary issued 
pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may, within sixty days 
after entry of such .an order, seek review of such order in the manner 
provided in section 10 of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 
60 Stat. 243. 
1 0 0 9 ) . 
80 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-544-AUG. 24, 1966 
353 
(c) Any dealer who violates any provision of this Act shall, on Penalty. 
conviction thereof, be subject to imprisonment for not more than one 
year or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both. 
SEC. 20. (a) If the Secretary has reason to believe that any research 
violations by 
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research lacili-
facility has violated or is violating any provision or this Act or any ties. 
of the rules or regulations promulgated by the Secretary hereunder 
and if, after notice and opportunity for hearing, he finds a violation, 
he may make an order that such research facility shall cease .and desist 
from continuing such violation. 
Such cease and desist order shall 
become effective fifteen days after issuance of the order. Any re- penalty. 
search facility which knowingly fails to obey a cease-and-desist order 
made by the Secretary under this section shall be subject to a civil 
penalty of $500 for each offense, and each day during which such fail-
ure continues shall be deemed a separate offense. 
(b) Any research facility aggrieved by a final order of the Secretary 
judicial review. 
issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may, within sixty 
days after entry of such order, seek review of such order in the district 
court for the district in which such research facility is located in the 
manner provided in section 10 of the Administrative Procedure Act 
( 5 U . S . C . 1009). 
^ 
^ 
60 Stat. 243. 
SEC. 21. The Secretary is authorized to promulgate such rules, regu- .g^"!^^^ ^
"
"
^ '•^^"' 
lations, and orders as he may deem necessary in order to effectuate 
the purposes of this Act. 
SEC. 22. If any provision of this Act or the application of any 
such provision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, 
the remainder of this Act and the application of any such provision 
to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held 
invalid shall not be affected thereby. 
SEC. 23. The Secretary shall charge, assess, and cause to be col- 
License fees. 
lected reasonable fees for licenses issued. 
Such fees shall be adjusted 
on an equitable basis taking into consideration the type and nature 
of the operations to be licensed and shall be deposited and covered 
into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. There are hereby author- 
Appropriation. 
ized to be appropriated such funds as Congress may from time to 
time provide. 
SEC. 24. The regulations referred to in section 10 and section 13 Effective dates. 
shall be prescribed by the Secretary as soon as reasonable but not later 
than six months from the date of enactment of this Act. 
Additions 
and amendments thereto may be prescribed from time to time as may 
be necessary or advisable. 
Compliance by dealers with the provisions 
of this Act and such regulations shall commence ninety days after the 
promulgation of such regulations. Compliance by research facilities 
with the provisions of this Act and such regulations shall commence 
six months after the promulgation of such regulations, except that the 
Secretary may grant extensions of time to research facilities which do 
not comply with the standards prescribed by the Secretary pursuant 
to section 13 of this Act provided that the Secretary determines that 
there is evidence that the research facilities will meet such standards 
within a reasonable tim& 
Approved August 24, 1966.