Bill > SB585

This bill shifts the responsibility for collecting contributions for the Human-Relevant Research Fund from the Maryland Department of Health to the Department of Agriculture. Specifically, research facilities in Maryland that are required to submit an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Form 7023, which is a federal form detailing animal use in research, will now pay their annual contributions directly to the Department of Agriculture. These contributions are tiered based on the number of animals reported on the federal form, ranging from $5,000 for up to 100 animals to $75,000 for over 5,000 animals. The Department of Agriculture will then distribute these collected funds to the Human-Relevant Research Fund. The bill also establishes a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day for research facilities that fail to make these required payments, and it repeals existing provisions related to this contribution under the Health - General Article, moving them to the Agriculture Article.