SPARE Act

Safeguard Pets, Animals, and Research Ethics Act or the SPARE Act

This bill prohibits federal departments, agencies, contractors, subcontractors, and grantees from engaging in research and testing using animals. 

This prohibition takes effect 3 years after the bill’s enactment for biomedical experimenting and drug testing, and 18 months after enactment for other research including cosmetics and toxicity testing. The prohibition does not apply to clinical veterinary research or certain activities related to military or service animals. Upon an application from a federal entity, contractor, or grantee, Congress may authorize animal research for a limited period if the research relates to an infectious disease or national security, would use animals sparingly, and for which no alternative exists. 

The bill establishes a civil penalty for certain violations of the prohibition, and permits the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to impose other specified sanctions on violators. 

The bill also requires federally funded research facilities that have used animals in research to release any such animal to a specified animal organization or eligible individual within one year of the bill’s enactment, after having consulted with an accredited sanctuary or animal behavioral specialist. The USDA and NIH must make available a public database with information on animals released under these provisions. 

Finally, the bill requires the National Science Foundation to establish a competitive grant program to support the transition of animal research to non-animal research, and to establish a program to support the validation and standardization of non-animal research.