HR1802-119

What This Bill Does

The SPARE Act prohibits federal departments, agencies, contractors, subcontractors, and grantees from authorizing, obligating, expending funds for, or otherwise engaging in research, testing, and experimentation that uses animals, unless an exception applies. The prohibition phases in after 18 months for cosmetic testing, toxicity testing, and basic psychological or behavioral experimentation, and after three years for biomedical experimentation and drug testing. Clinical veterinary research and studies involving military animals or service animals are exempt, and infectious-disease or national-security animal research can proceed only after an application to Congress and a joint resolution authorizing it for up to one year.

The bill creates civil penalties of up to $250,000 for violating contractors, subcontractors, or grantees; correction plans for violating federal agencies; and possible grant bans. It establishes a Federal Research Modernization Fund at the National Science Foundation to award grants, provide contractor training, facilitate collaboration, and validate non-animal methods. Federally funded research facilities that used animals in prohibited research must create release programs for animals, report quarterly to APHIS and NIH's Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, and support a public database. GAO must audit compliance annually and Congress must hold annual hearings.

Who Benefits and How

Non-animal research developers benefit from grants, collaboration programs, training, validation, and standardization support for human-cell models, artificial intelligence, organ-on-chip technology, and other alternatives. Animal rescue organizations, accredited sanctuaries, licensed shelters, and eligible adopters benefit from required animal-release pathways. Federal taxpayers benefit if research dollars shift away from animal studies the bill characterizes as inefficient or unnecessary. Animals held by federally funded research facilities benefit from release programs when they are suitable for placement.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federally funded animal research laboratories, contractors, subcontractors, and grantees must stop most animal research after the phase-in periods, seek special congressional authorization for infectious-disease or national-security exceptions, release covered animals, report quarterly, and face penalties or grant bans for violations. Federal departments and agencies must comply with the funding ban or implement correction plans. USDA APHIS, NIH's Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, NSF, and GAO must administer databases, grants, training, audits, and reports. Biomedical and drug-testing researchers bear transition costs unless an exemption or congressional authorization applies.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits federal funding or participation in most animal research, testing, and experimentation after specified phase-in periods.
• Creates civil penalties, agency correction plans, and possible grant bans for violations.
• Establishes the Federal Research Modernization Fund at NSF for grants, contractor training, collaboration, validation, and standardization of non-animal methods.
• Requires federally funded research facilities to release suitable animals to rescues, sanctuaries, shelters, or eligible individuals and report releases quarterly.
• Requires APHIS and NIH to maintain a public release database, GAO to audit compliance annually, and Congress to hold annual hearings.