Betty McCollum
09/13/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/13/2024 14:18
Congresswoman Betty McCollum Introduces Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act
Congresswoman Betty McCollum Introduces Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act
Legislation Would Establish Protections for Many Animals not CurrentlyCovered under the Animal Welfare Act
WASHINGTON, D.C.-In an effort to improve the health and safety of animal exhibition sites which have come under scrutiny in recent months, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) announced the introduction of the Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition (CARE) Act (H.R. 9571) on Friday morning. The Congresswoman's legislation would amend the Animal Welfare Act to ensure that the existing standards set under federal law for the humane care, treatment, and exhibition of some warm-blooded animals are extended to cover additional warm blooded and cold-blooded animals. The bill's introduction comes amid of a flurry of concerns among Minnesotans regarding the cruel and dangerous conditions that uncovered animals are subject to, and the risk this poses to our public health."The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) provides protections against animal cruelty on a national level, but current law is limited to warm-blooded species,"said Congresswoman McCollum. "We should not leave cold-blooded animal species out in the cold without these basic protections! Animals including octopuses and tortoises, and the humans that interact with them at live animal exhibits, are vulnerable to unsafe and unsanitary conditions. My office has received complaints from dozens of Minnesotans reporting unsafe environments at such interactive facilities, including one in Roseville, but most of the species that are being exploited there are not currently protected under the AWA. Under my legislation, federal inspectors that oversee animal exhibitors, breeders, and research facilities will have greater power to ensure that all animals and the public are kept safe, and that the public is not at risk of contracting diseases or experiencing bodily harm. Enough is enough - we must act."CARE Act to Expand Enforcement Authority for USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA), enacted in 1966, offers protections to animals that are used or intended for use in research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition, or bred and sold as pets. The AWA requires routine annual inspections of all licensed facilities that hold or use AWA-covered animals by the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), who enforce USDA regulations and protect animal welfare across the country.
However, the AWA currently only covers certain warm-blooded animal species. Due to the exclusion within the law of all cold-blooded animals (e.g., cephalopods, fish, reptiles, and amphibians), USDA's APHIS Animal Care inspectors lack the authority to regulate facilities for the use, display, or breeding of cold-blooded animals like octopuses, sharks, alligators, or salamanders. That leaves the federal government without a vital tool to protect these animals from adverse treatment or improper care, with some cases resulting in severe injury or death.
Currently, bad-faith exhibitors across the United States can avoid scrutiny from APHIS and exploit all cold-blooded, and many warm-blooded animals for profit. The conditions of these facilities are frequently appalling, with inhumane living conditions for the animals. The lack of oversight of many animal species also poses a threat to members of the public who interact with animals that have not been vaccinated, or that are visibly ill. Well documented examples exist across breeders and suppliers for the pet trade, chains of interactive aquariums, roadside zoos, and other exhibitors, who not only keep their animals in dirty, inadequate enclosures, but also allow young children to interact with those animals. These facilities have been uncovered all over the United States, with locations including Roseville, Minnesota; Folsom, California; Denver, Colorado; Arlington, Texas; and Woodbridge, New Jersey. Some locations have even been forced to close by state-level agencies. The federal government is unable to use the AWA to address the treatment of many of the animals at these facilities, and the risk to the public, because there are no enforceable care standards for cold-blooded species under federal law.
The Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act (H.R. 9571) would amend the definition of "animal" under the Animal Welfare Act to expand its protections to many species not currently covered. It will have a broad, positive impact on the conditions of both cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals in exhibition, research, and pet breeding facilities.
The legislation is supported by the Animal Welfare Institute, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Humane Society of the United States.
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