Humane Retirement Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2850 To amend the Public Health Service Act to ensure that healthy research dogs and cats are adopted into suitable homes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 20, 2019 Miss RICE of New York (for herself and Mr. KATKO) 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 dogs and cats are adopted into suitable homes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Humane Retirement 4 Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ADOPTION POLICY FOR PUB- 6 LIC HEALTH SERVICE AGENCIES WITH RE- 7 SPECT TO RETIRED DOGS AND CATS. 8 Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act (42 9 U.S.C. 289d) is amended by adding the following: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 04, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2850.IH H2850 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 2850 IH ‘‘(f) ESTABLISHMENT OF ADOPTION POLICY FOR 1 PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE AGENCIES WITH RESPECT TO 2 RETIRED DOGS AND CATS.— 3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning one year after 4 the date of the enactment of this subsection, guide- 5 lines of the Secretary under subsection (a)(3) shall 6 require animal care committees described in such 7 subsection that conduct biomedical and behavioral 8 research at Public Health Service funded Federal 9 agencies to, after the completion of any testing or 10 research involving a dog or cat and prior to 11 euthanizing such dog or cat, make a reasonable ef- 12 fort to offer such dog or cat for adoption, if suitable, 13 in accordance with the following: 14 ‘‘(A) Such an animal care committee shall, 15 after the completion of such testing or research 16 involving a dog or cat and prior to euthanizing 17 such dog or cat, assess the health and tempera- 18 ment of the dog or cat and determine whether 19 it is suitable for adoption. 20 ‘‘(B) If found to be suitable for adoption, 21 such an animal care committee shall make rea- 22 sonable efforts to offer for adoption the dog or 23 cat to an adopting party. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 04, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2850.IH H2850 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 2850 IH ‘‘(2) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 1 this subsection shall be construed as— 2 ‘‘(A) creating a duty upon an adopting 3 party to accept a dog or cat offered by an ani- 4 mal care committee described in paragraph (1); 5 or 6 ‘‘(B) prohibiting such committee from 7 euthanizing a dog or cat if the requirements of 8 this subsection are otherwise met. 9 ‘‘(3) LIABILITY.—An animal care committee de- 10 scribed in paragraph (1) and any officer, director, 11 employee, or agent of such committee are immune 12 from civil liability for any act or omission relating to 13 the adoption of a dog or cat pursuant to this sub- 14 section. 15 ‘‘(4) ADOPTING PARTY DEFINED.—For pur- 16 poses of this subsection, the term ‘adopting party’ 17 means— 18 ‘‘(A) an individual adopting a dog or cat 19 through private placement; 20 ‘‘(B) an animal rescue organization; 21 ‘‘(C) an animal shelter organization; 22 ‘‘(D) a society for the prevention of cruelty 23 to animals; 24 ‘‘(E) a humane society; or 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 04, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2850.IH H2850 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 2850 IH ‘‘(F) an animal protective association that 1 operates physical animal sheltering facilities 2 and offers households pets to the public for 3 adoption by way of an established adoption pro- 4 gram.’’. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:15 Jun 04, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2850.IH H2850 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS