Bill > S2117

This bill proposes to prohibit state funding for any agency, school, university, or other institution that conducts research involving animals, with comprehensive provisions for the animals currently in research settings. The legislation acknowledges that animals experience pain and stress, and deems it inhumane to deliberately cause such suffering. Under this bill, all animals currently used in research—including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, with no exemptions for rats or mice—must be removed from research environments and either adopted, placed in sanctuaries, or cared for by their current institutions until natural death. The bill mandates that these animals must not be euthanized and must be provided adequate space, freedom, and, for social species, opportunities for interaction with their own kind. If research institutions cannot immediately rehome the animals, they are required to continue caring for them, and the state may redirect the funds that would have been used for research to support the animals' ongoing care and welfare. The underlying principle is to prioritize animal well-being and eliminate state-funded animal research across all types of institutions.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2117