I
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9072
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 29, 2022
Miss Rice of New York (for herself, Mr. Katko, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Swalwell, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Correa, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Cárdenas, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Cicilline, Mr. Crow, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Casten, and Mr. Lieu) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that healthy research common companion animals are adopted into suitable homes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Humane Retirement Act
.
Establishment of adoption policy for public health service agencies with respect to retired common companion animals
Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289d) is amended by adding at the end the following:
Beginning one year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, guidelines of the Secretary under subsection (a)(3) shall require animal care committees described in such subsection that conduct biomedical and behavioral research at Public Health Service funded Federal agencies to, after the completion of any testing or research involving a common companion animal and prior to euthanizing such common companion animal, make a reasonable effort to offer such common companion animal for adoption, if suitable, in accordance with the following:
Such an animal care committee shall, after the completion of such testing or research involving a common companion animal and prior to euthanizing such common companion animal, assess the health and temperament of the common companion animal and determine whether it is suitable for adoption.
If found to be suitable for adoption, such an animal care committee shall make reasonable efforts to offer for adoption the common companion animal to an adopting party.
An animal care committee shall ensure that any adopting party described in any of clauses (ii) through (vi) of paragraph (6)(A) provides a written assurance that the common companion animal will be placed in a home and not with a breeder, exhibitor, or research facility.
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as—
creating a duty upon an adopting party to accept a common companion animal offered by an animal care committee described in paragraph (1); or
prohibiting such committee from euthanizing a common companion animal if the requirements of this subsection are otherwise met.
An animal care committee described in paragraph (1) and any officer, director, employee, or agent of such committee are immune from civil liability for any act or omission relating to the adoption of a common companion animal pursuant to this subsection.
Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter, an animal care committee described in paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary a report on adoptions that occurred as a result of the requirement specified in such paragraph. Each such report shall include the following:
The number and species of common companion animals eligible for adoption at the research entity for which the animal care committee was established.
The number of common companion animals adopted.
The types of adopting parties that adopted such animals, disaggregated according to the categories of adopting parties listed in paragraph (6)(A).
An animal care committee described in paragraph (1), may, in offering a common companion animal for adoption pursuant to paragraph (1), charge the adopting party a fee for that adoption (including for any services necessary to prepare the common companion animal for that adoption).
For purposes of this subsection:
The term adopting party means—
an individual adopting a common companion animal through private placement;
a bona fide animal rescue organization;
a bona fide animal shelter organization;
a bona fide society for the prevention of cruelty to animals;
a bona fide humane society; or
a bona fide animal protective association that operates physical animal sheltering facilities and offers households pets to the public for adoption by way of an established adoption program.
The term common companion animal means a dog, cat, rabbit, or guinea pig.
.