H.R. 1155 – PUPPERS Act of 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:50 AM UTC

The PUPPERS Act of 2019 would change federal law to stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from using dogs in medical research that causes significant pain or distress. It adds a prohibition on buying, breeding, housing, feeding, transporting, disposing of, or experimenting on dogs for such studies, with limited exceptions. The rule would apply to any VA‑conducted research that falls into the highest pain categories, but it does not affect routine physical exams, training programs, or work involving service dogs. The change would take effect 90 days after the law is enacted.

Key Provisions

Adds a new subsection to 38 U.S.C. § 7303 that bars the VA Secretary from purchasing, breeding, transporting, housing, feeding, maintaining, disposing of, or experimenting on dogs for studies that cause significant pain or distress.
Defines “significant pain or distress” as any study classified as pain category D or E by the Department of Agriculture.
Specifies that the prohibition does not apply to physical exams, training programs, or studies related to service or working dogs.
Sets the amendment to become effective 90 days after the act’s enactment.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

March 1, 2019

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 13, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

February 13, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Health Subcommittee

March 1, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 1155 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Dina TitusD-NV-1 · Mar 5, 2019

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio be removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1155.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued February 13, 2019

I

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1155

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 13, 2019

Ms. Titus (for herself, Mr. Mast, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. Zeldin, Mrs. Walorski, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Turner, Mr. Stauber, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Norton, Mr. Hastings, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Posey, Mr. Collins of New York, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Suozzi, Mrs. Brooks of Indiana, Mr. Katko, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Foster, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Engel, Mr. Crist, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. Soto, Ms. Bass, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Wild, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Welch, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. Lowenthal, Mr. Hurd of Texas, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Estes, Mr. Grothman, Mr. Lamb, Mr. Evans, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Cárdenas, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Swalwell of California, and Ms. Johnson of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from conducting medical research causing significant pain or distress to dogs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Preventing Unkind and Painful Procedures and Experiments on Respected Species Act of 2019 or the PUPPERS Act of 2019.

2.

Prohibition on Department of Veterans Affairs medical research causing significant pain or distress to dogs

(a)

In general

Section 7303 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(e)

(1)

In carrying out research, the Secretary may not purchase, breed, transport, house, feed, maintain, dispose of, or experiment on dogs as part of the conduct of any study that causes significant pain or distress.

(2)

In this subsection, the term study that causes significant pain or distress—

(A)

includes any study classified to pain category D or E by the Department of Agriculture; and

(B)

does not include any physical exam, training program, or study relating to service or working dogs.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.