Bill > HF5131

This bill, intended for Minnesota Statutes, chapter 343, prohibits certain animal research procedures under specific circumstances and establishes civil penalties for violations. It specifically forbids research facilities, as defined by federal law (United States Code, title 7, section 2132), from conducting any research, teaching, surgery, experiment, study, or test that is reportable to the U.S. Department of Agriculture on APHIS Form 7023, Column E, or APHIS Form 7023B, which are related to animal research reporting requirements. However, this prohibition does not apply to activities mandated by federal law or regulation, such as those outlined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 9, section 113, nor does it apply to federal research facilities. Violating this prohibition will result in an administrative penalty of $10,000 for each animal involved, and in cases where the violation is proven to be willful, a court may order the defendant to reimburse the state for reasonable litigation expenses, taking into account the defendant's economic situation.