A Comparison of Bills Regarding Animal Experimentation in Virginia
Every year, countless animals suffer and die in cruel and ineffective experiments across Virginia. Learn which bills regarding animals used in experiments were introduced and which ended up passing from 2020 to present.
2020
What was introduced?
- SB 311: Breeding dogs or cats for experimentation; prohibition. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of producing offspring for participation in medical experimentation or for sale to a manufacturer or contract testing facility to conduct experiments on animals.
- SB 669: Animal testing; breeding. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the express purpose of producing offspring for use in experimentation that isn’t required pursuant to federal law or regulation or sale to a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testing facility outside the U.S.
- HB 1289: Humane Cosmetics Act; civil penalties. This bill would prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2021. It would also prohibit the sale in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2023, of any cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing on or after July 1, 2021. Violations would have been subjected to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
What passed?
- Nothing
2021
What was introduced?
- SB 311: Breeding dogs or cats for experimentation; prohibition. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of producing offspring for participation in medical experimentation or for sale to a manufacturer or contract testing facility to conduct experiments on animals.
- SB 669: Animal testing; breeding. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the express purpose of producing offspring for use in experimentation that isn’t required pursuant to federal law or regulation or sale to a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testing facility outside the U.S.
- HB 1289: Humane Cosmetics Act; civil penalties. This bill would prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2021. It would also prohibit the sale in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2023, of any cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing on or after July 1, 2021. Violations would have been subjected to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
What passed?
- Nothing
2022
What was introduced?
- SB 311: Breeding dogs or cats for experimentation; prohibition. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of producing offspring for participation in medical experimentation or for sale to a manufacturer or contract testing facility to conduct experiments on animals.
- SB 669: Animal testing; breeding. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the express purpose of producing offspring for use in experimentation that isn’t required pursuant to federal law or regulation or sale to a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testing facility outside the U.S.
- HB 1289: Humane Cosmetics Act; civil penalties. This bill would prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2021. It would also prohibit the sale in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2023, of any cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing on or after July 1, 2021. Violations would have been subjected to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
What passed?
- SB 87 and HB 1350: (identical bills) Dealers; sale of dogs or cats for experimental purposes. Prohibits a dealer, commercial dog breeder, or cat breeder, including an entity that breeds dogs or cats regulated under federal law as research animals, from importing for sale, selling, or offering for sale a dog or cat bred by a person who has received certain citations on or after July 1, 2023, pursuant to the federal Animal Welfare Act.
- SB 88: Breeders; records of animals sold or transferred to animal testing facility. Requires any person or entity that breeds dogs or cats for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility to keep records of each animal for five years from the date of the acquisition, transfer, or disposition and to quarterly submit a summary of the records to the State Veterinarian.
- SB 90: Breeders of dogs and cats for animal testing facilities; adoption of dogs and cats. Requires a breeder of dogs and cats for sale or transfer to an animal testing facility that no longer has a need for a dog or cat in its possession to offer the animal for adoption prior to euthanizing it. Currently, only animal testing facilities are subject to this requirement.
- SB 604: Animal cruelty; companion animals; penalty. Clarifies that animals are not considered companion animals only when actively involved in bona fide medical or scientific experimentation. Current law exempts animals from the definition of companion animal if they are regulated under federal law as research animals.
2023
What was introduced?
- SB 311: Breeding dogs or cats for experimentation; prohibition. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the purpose of producing offspring for participation in medical experimentation or for sale to a manufacturer or contract testing facility to conduct experiments on animals.
- SB 669: Animal testing; breeding. This bill would prohibit any person from breeding dogs or cats for the express purpose of producing offspring for use in experimentation that isn’t required pursuant to federal law or regulation or sale to a manufacturer, institution of higher learning, or contract testing facility outside the U.S.
- HB 1289: Humane Cosmetics Act; civil penalties. This bill would prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2021. It would also prohibit the sale in the Commonwealth effective as of July 1, 2023, of any cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing on or after July 1, 2021. Violations would have been subjected to a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000.
What passed?
- SB1271/HB2348 became one bill: Animal testing facilities; public notification. This bill requires that any animal testing facility, contract testing facility, or manufacturer that uses an animal test method display a link to its annual report (APHIS Form 7023) on the homepage or landing page of the facility’s or manufacturer’s website on or before December 1 for the preceding federal fiscal year. The bill also requires that animal testing facilities make certain inspection reports publicly available by displaying a link to access such reports on the homepage or landing page of their website or, if such facilities don’t have a website, make such information available by means of a news release or other similar publication. The bill further requires that any animal testing facility operated by an institution of higher education that receives a citation for critical noncompliance, as defined in the bill, under the AWA or regulations adopted thereunder notify the leadership of such institution, including the president, dean, and board of visitors or board of trustees. The provisions of the bill do not apply to federal facilities or privately owned licensed veterinary practices.
