A bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain animals used in Federal research, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4172 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4172

To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain
       animals used in Federal research, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 24, 2026

Ms. Collins (for herself and Mr. Peters) 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, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Animal Freedom from Testing,
Experiments, and Research Act of 2026'' or the ``AFTER Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. PLACEMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN FEDERAL RESEARCH.

    (a) In General.--Section 14 of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C.
2144) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 14. STANDARDS FOR FEDERAL FACILITIES.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Animal rescue organization.--The term `animal rescue
        organization' means a nonprofit organization the purpose of
        which is to rescue covered animals and find permanent adoptive
        homes for those animals.
            ``(2) Animal sanctuary.--The term `animal sanctuary' means
        a nonprofit organization that--
                    ``(A) is registered with the Secretary;
                    ``(B) operates a place of refuge in which--
                            ``(i) a covered animal is provided care for
                        the lifetime of the animal; and
                            ``(ii) an unescorted public visitation of
                        that animal is not permitted;
                    ``(C) does not engage in commercial trade of
                covered animals;
                    ``(D) does not breed covered animals;
                    ``(E) does not permit direct contact between the
                public and covered animals;
                    ``(F) does not allow the use of a covered animal
                for performance or exhibition purposes; and
                    ``(G) does not conduct or permit research on a
                covered animal other than noninvasive behavioral
                research.
            ``(3) Animal shelter.--The term `animal shelter' means a
        facility that--
                    ``(A) accepts or seizes covered animals--
                            ``(i) to care for the animals;
                            ``(ii) to place those animals in a
                        permanent adoptive home; or
                            ``(iii) for purposes of law enforcement;
                        and
                    ``(B) does not--
                            ``(i) engage in commercial trade of covered
                        animals;
                            ``(ii) breed covered animals;
                            ``(iii) allow the use of a covered animal
                        for performance or exhibition purposes; or
                            ``(iv) conduct or permit research on a
                        covered animal other than noninvasive
                        behavioral research.
            ``(4) Covered animal.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `covered animal' means
                an animal that is unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in
                need of placement in a home.
                    ``(B) Exclusions.--The term `covered animal' does
                not include--
                            ``(i) a rat of the genus Rattus; or
                            ``(ii) a mouse of the genus Mus.
            ``(5) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit
        organization' 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 that Code.
            ``(6) Suitable for retirement.--The term `suitable for
        retirement' means, with respect to an animal, that the animal
        has been evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and is determined
        to be mentally and physically healthy.
    ``(b) Laboratory Animal Facilities and Exhibitors.--Any department,
agency, or instrumentality of the United States that operates
laboratory animal facilities or exhibits animals shall comply with the
standards and other requirements promulgated by the Secretary under
subsections (a), (g), (h), and (i) of section 13.
    ``(c) Retirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
        enactment of the AFTER Act of 2026, any department, agency, or
        instrumentality of the United States operating a Federal
        research facility shall, after public notice and comment,
        promulgate regulations that, with respect to any animal of the
        facility that is no longer needed for research and determined
        to be suitable for retirement--
                    ``(A) facilitate and encourage the adoption of the
                animal by, or placement of the animal with--
                            ``(i) an animal rescue organization, animal
                        sanctuary, animal shelter, or individual who
                        intends to keep the animal as a pet; or
                            ``(ii) in the case of a nonhuman primate,
                        an animal sanctuary; and
                    ``(B) to the maximum extent practicable,
                collaborate with appropriate nonprofit organizations to
                carry out subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) National placement.--The regulations promulgated to
        carry out paragraph (1)(A) shall include consideration of
        placing animals with the entities described in that
        subparagraph that are located beyond the immediate geographic
        vicinity of the Federal research facility at which the animal
        being retired is located.
    ``(d) Effect on Other Laws.--Nothing in this section, including
regulations promulgated under subsection (c)(1), shall--
            ``(1) preempt any State or local law relating to the
        adoption or placement of animals used in research that is more
        stringent than the requirements of this section;
            ``(2) prohibit, prevent, forestall, or otherwise impede the
        placement of any chimpanzee that has been used, or was bred or
        purchased for use, in research conducted or supported by a
        Federal agency into the sanctuary system established under
        section 404K of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 283m);
        or
            ``(3) prevent a State or unit of local government from
        adopting or enforcing an animal welfare law that is more
        stringent than this section.''.
    (b) Technical Amendments.--Section 13 of the Animal Welfare Act (7
U.S.C. 2143) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as subsections
        (h) and (i), respectively; and
            (2) by redesignating the second subsection (f) (relating to
        the certification requirement for the delivery of any animal)
        as subsection (g).
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