Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague from Michigan, Senator Peters, in introducing the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act, known as the AFTER Act, to promote the adoption or retirement of animals used for research by Federal agencies.

In fiscal year 2019, the Federal government experimented on approximately 38,000 animals for research purposes. These experiments occurred across fourteen different federal agencies. The animals used were mainly cats, dogs, monkeys, and rabbits. Tracking these animals following experimentation is challenging. In many instances, animals no longer needed for research are killed since many agencies lack formal retirement or adoption policies. Recent peer-reviewed studies indicate that research animals that are adopted, however, often thrive in their new environments.

In 2013, led by Senators Harkin, Alexander, Cantwell and myself, the Senate passed the CHIMP Act, which allowed for the retirement of hundreds of primates that were formerly used in National Institute of Health (NIH) experiments. In addition, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, FDA, and NIH recently enacted successful animal retirement policies. While I am encouraged by the Senate's past work on primates and the recent policies developed by a few Federal agencies, there are many other Federal agencies, including the Agriculture Department, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency, that lack formal policies for animals used in experiments.

The AFTER Act builds on successful policies at DOD, VA, and NIH by directing all Federal agencies to promulgate regulations that would facilitate the retirement of laboratory animals. The bill provides flexibility for each agency to devise its own policy, with the goal of ensuring that such animals, whenever possible, are retired and not killed. Additionally, the AFTER Act requires that animals be evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and pronounced both mentally and physically healthy before leaving an agency. This will help ensure a smooth transition to a new environment.

Our legislation also encourages Federal agencies to work with non- profit organizations to help place retired animals in sanctuaries and shelters across the country, not just those closest to the research facility. This would allow a State like Maine, which does not have Federal research labs that use animals, to play a role in retiring these animals and providing homes for them.

Mr. President, animals that are suitable for adoption or retirement should not be killed by our Federal government. The AFTER Act would provide the necessary direction Federal agencies need in order to move forward with developing retirement policies. I urge all of my colleagues to join in support of this important bipartisan legislation, the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act. ______

By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Warren, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Casey, Mr. Reed, Ms. Smith, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Gillibrand, and Mr. Merkley):

S. 1385. A bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to establish additional requirements for dealers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

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