Bill > HB06277

This bill modifies existing law to expand the requirements for animal adoption from institutions of higher education. Specifically, the bill broadens the types of animals that must be offered for adoption after research or testing is completed, adding rabbits, guinea pigs, and ferrets to the existing categories of cats and dogs. The bill maintains the existing provisions that these animals must be no longer needed for research, the research must not require the animal's destruction, and the adoption must occur after research completion. The bill allows educational institutions to partner with animal adoption or rescue organizations (defined as nonprofit 501(c)(3) groups focused on rehoming animals from shelters, pounds, or individual homes) to facilitate these adoptions. The new provisions will take effect on October 1, 2025, and are designed to provide a standardized process for finding new homes for animals used in academic research, thereby potentially reducing euthanasia and promoting animal welfare.