HR3043-119

What This Bill Does

The Accountability in Foreign Animal Research Act restricts HHS-backed biomedical research involving vertebrate animals in covered foreign countries. HHS may not conduct such research directly or indirectly in facilities or through entities located in, owned by, or controlled by China, including Hong Kong, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or another foreign country of concern designated by the HHS Secretary after consulting State and Defense. HHS also may not support animal-testing biomedical research in those countries through grants, subgrants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other funding vehicles. Whenever HHS designates an additional country of concern, the Secretary must report the detailed reasoning to the chair and ranking member of the relevant House and Senate appropriations, health, and homeland security committees within 60 days.

Who Benefits and How

U.S. biomedical research oversight committees benefit from a clearer statutory ban on HHS-funded animal testing in covered foreign countries. Animal welfare advocates benefit because federal biomedical funding cannot support vertebrate-animal testing in the named countries. U.S. research institutions may benefit if restricted foreign projects are redirected toward domestic or allied-country research settings. Congressional health and appropriations committees benefit from required explanations when HHS designates additional countries of concern.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS must screen direct research, grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other funding vehicles for covered foreign animal-testing work. NIH grantees with covered-country animal facilities may lose federal support for those research activities. Biomedical research entities in China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia lose access to HHS-backed vertebrate-animal research funds. The State Department and Defense Department must consult with HHS on any additional foreign-country-of-concern determinations.

Key Provisions

• Bars HHS from conducting vertebrate-animal biomedical research in named foreign countries of concern.
• Prohibits HHS grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other funding vehicles for covered foreign animal testing.
• Names China including Hong Kong, Iran, North Korea, and Russia as covered countries.
• Requires detailed reports to appropriate congressional committees within 60 days of any additional country designation.