As part of the Farm bill, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved two portions of the Animal Welfare Accountability Act, H.R. 2193.

Quite an impressive name that doesn't tell you much about the bill.

One part of this bill that has now been approved in the House as part of the Farm bill will stop anyone from using live animals to demonstrate medical devices or products whether as part of a sales pitch, workshop or training, sales staff training, or video used for marketing. 

Unfortunately, the bill does not prohibit use of live animals in demonstrating or using medical devices or products for purposes other than marketing, but it's a start.   

Remember the demonstration last year at the Cleveland Clinic when a surgeon decided it would be "fun" to use a live dog to show off a product?  The surgeon actually caused an aneurysm in the anesthetized dog. In trying to "treat" the dog with the new product for aneurysms, the animal died. The Cleveland Clinic denounced the surgeon's use of the poor dog and acted to have him barred from animal research for 2 years, but the use of the dog was not illegal.

The Humane Society of the United States reports one company admitted using 1000 dogs each year in the 1980s in marketing or demonstrations of its products.    

The House has also approved as part of the Farm bill another section of H.R. 2193, that would raise fines for violations from $2,500 per violation to $10,000 and mandate that APHIS calculate the penalties by imposing the $10,000 fines per animal for each day of a violation. The Office of Inspector General supported the increase after finding the meager $2,500 fine per violation under current law was no deterrent for animal researchers.   

The final section of H.R. 2193 would require the USDA to submit an annual report to Congress, listing each person or entity that is licensed or registered under the AWA such as animal researchers, exhibitors, dealers, handlers, carriers, etc.); nature and place of all in spections and investigations, information obtained including whether the procedures used cause unrelieved pain or suffering, and alternatives that might be available.

A complete copy of the proposed bill, H.R. 2193, is in our Pending Bills on this page.   

Click here to find out more about regulations for animal researchers. 

What You Can Do!

Click here to find out if your representative is a co-sponsor of H.R. 2193, which was introduced by Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

If not, click here to find your representative and write or call to urge them to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Animal Welfare Accountability Act and support this bill!

Click here to find Senators whose terms expire in 2009. If they are running for re-election, remind them to support as part of the Farm bill the ban on use of live animals in marketing demonstrations and increases in AWA fines. Also, click here to find and contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to support these provisions of the Farm bill.

Remember 2008 is an election year; every member of the House is up for re-election. It's time for them to stand up and be counted for the animals.