Violet’s Law

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3246 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3246

   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the adoption or non-
 laboratory placement of certain animals used in Federal research, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2025

   Ms. Mace (for herself, Mr. Huffman, Mr. Gimenez, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. 
     Malliotakis, Ms. Meng, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Tran, Mrs. 
   Harshbarger, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Nehls, Mrs. McBath, Mr. 
 Connolly, Ms. Chu, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Ms. Omar, Ms. Titus, 
 Mr. Carson, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Gottheimer, 
  Mr. Stauber, Ms. Norton, Ms. Barragan, Mrs. Kim, Ms. Scholten, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, and Mr. Perry) introduced the following bill; which 
              was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the adoption or non-
 laboratory placement 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 ``Violet's Law''.

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

    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) Laboratory Animal Facilities.--Any department, agency, or 
instrumentality of the United States having laboratory animal 
facilities shall comply with the standards and other requirements 
promulgated by the Secretary under sections 13(a), (f), (g), and (h).
    ``(b) Adoption and Non-Laboratory Placement.--Any department, 
agency, or instrumentality of the United States operating as a Federal 
research facility shall, not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this subsection, promulgate standards and other 
requirements that, in the determination of the department, agency, or 
instrumentality, facilitates the adoption or non-laboratory placement 
of any eligible animal of the facility no longer needed for research 
and determined to be suitable for release to an animal rescue 
organization, animal sanctuary, animal shelter, or individual.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Animal rescue organization.--The term `animal rescue 
        organization' means an organization--
                    ``(A) described in section 501(c)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation 
                under section 501(a) of such Code; and
                    ``(B) with the purpose of rescuing animals that are 
                unwanted, abandoned, or otherwise in need of placement 
                and finding permanent adoptive homes for such animals.
            ``(2) Animal sanctuary.--The term `animal sanctuary' 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 such Code that--
                    ``(A) is registered with the Secretary;
                    ``(B) operates a place of refuge--
                            ``(i) where an unwanted, displaced, or 
                        retired animal is provided care for the 
                        lifetime of such animal; and
                            ``(ii) where an unescorted public 
                        visitation of such an animal is not permitted;
                    ``(C) does not engage in commercial trade of such 
                an animal;
                    ``(D) does not breed such an animal;
                    ``(E) does not permit direct contact between the 
                public and such an animal;
                    ``(F) does not allow the use of such an animal for 
                performance or exhibition purposes; and
                    ``(G) does not conduct research that pains or 
                distresses such an animal.
            ``(3) Animal shelter.--The term `animal shelter' means a 
        facility that accepts or seizes animals to care for such 
        animals, place such animals in a permanent adoptive home, or 
        carry out law enforcement purposes.
            ``(4) Eligible animal.--The term `eligible animal' means 
        any dog, cat, nonhuman primate, guinea pig, hamster, or rabbit.
            ``(5) Suitable for release.--The term `suitable for 
        release' means an eligible animal that has been evaluated and 
        has received a certificate issued by a veterinarian licensed to 
        practice veterinary medicine, certifying that they inspected 
        the eligible animal on a specified date that is not more than 
        ten days before such animal is released, and when so inspected, 
        the eligible animal appeared free of any infectious disease or 
        physical abnormality which would endanger the eligible animal, 
        other animals, or public health.''.
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