HR 233 · 119th CongressIn Committee

HELP PETS Act

Latest updateJan 7, 2025

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Education

Sponsor

Nicole Malliotakis

Introduced

January 7, 2025

Latest action

January 7, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

Currently, federal funding for higher education institutions operates under broad eligibility rules that do not restrict grants, loans, or other federal support based on the types of animal research conducted on campus. While the Department of Agriculture regulates animal research through the Animal Welfare Act and classifies research by pain level, institutions can still receive federal education funding even if they conduct painful experiments on dogs and cats. This creates a situation where taxpayer dollars support higher education at institutions engaged in research that many Americans find ethically troubling.

The HELP PETS Act prohibits the Department of Education from making federal funds available to any institution of higher education that conducts or funds painful research on dogs or cats, effective 180 days after enactment. The bill defines "painful research" as any biomedical training, experimentation, or biological testing classified in pain categories D or E by the Department of Agriculture. The law carves out exceptions for clinical veterinary research conducted to benefit the individual animal and for research involving service animals or military animals, which remain eligible for federal funding.

Implementation begins six months after the bill becomes law, giving institutions time to cease painful dog and cat research or face loss of all federal education funding. The Department of Education will need to establish procedures for institutions to certify compliance and for the agency to verify that no painful research on these animals occurs. Institutions conducting such research would lose access to federal student aid, research grants, and other education funding streams, creating strong financial incentives to redirect research protocols or discontinue painful studies on dogs and cats while preserving federally funded work on other species and clinical veterinary care.

Key Provisions

1Prohibits the Department of Education from distributing federal funds to institutions of higher education that conduct or fund painful research on dogs or cats, beginning 180 days after enactment.
2Exempts clinical veterinary research conducted to benefit the individual animal and research involving service animals or military animals from the funding prohibition.
3Defines painful research as biomedical training, experimentation, or biological testing classified in pain categories D or E by the Department of Agriculture.
4Applies the term "institution of higher education" as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965, covering colleges, universities, and other eligible postsecondary institutions.
5Establishes that the funding prohibition applies to any federal funds, including student aid, research grants, and other education-related federal support.

★ Why this matters

Federal funding eligibility for colleges and universities would become conditional on animal research practices for the first time. Institutions conducting painful experiments on dogs and cats would lose access to all federal education dollars, creating a direct financial consequence for research protocols. This would likely shift research away from dogs and cats toward other species or toward non-painful methodologies. The change affects how federal education dollars are allocated and which research activities receive taxpayer support.

● Who this affects

Research universities and medical schools that currently conduct painful biomedical research on dogs and cats would face the most direct impact, as they would lose federal funding unless they cease such research. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at these institutions could see changes to available research opportunities and funding. The Department of Education would need to implement new compliance verification procedures. Animal welfare advocates and institutions opposed to painful animal research would see alignment between federal funding policy and their values. Institutions conducting clinical veterinary research or military animal research would not be affected.

Bill Text

View on Congress.gov

Show / hide bill text preview

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 233

To prohibit the availability of Federal funds to institutions of higher 
  education that conduct painful biomedical research on dogs and cats.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2025

 Ms. Malliotakis introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                the Committee on Education and Workforce

                                 A BILL

 
To prohibit the availability of Federal funds to institutions of higher 
  education that conduct painful biomedical research on dogs and cats.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Higher Education Loses Payments for 
Painful Experiments, Tests and Studies Act'' or the ``HELP PETS Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO INSTITUTIONS OF 
              HIGHER EDUCATION THAT CONDUCT PAINFUL RESEARCH USING DOGS 
              AND CATS.

    (a) In General.--Beginning on the date that is 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds may be made 
available to any institution of higher education that conducts or 
funds, in whole or in part, painful research on dogs or cats.
    (b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to--
            (1) clinical veterinary research; or
            (2) any physical exam, training program, or study relating 
        to service animals or military animals.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Clinical veterinary research.--The term ``clinical 
        veterinary research'' means research on a dog or cat with a 
        naturally occurring disease or injury that is conducted--
                    (A) for the benefit of the dog or cat; and
                    (B) with the intention of studying the effect of a 
                procedure, device, or treatment protocol.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (3) Military animal.--The term ``military animal'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 2583(i)(1) of title 10, 
        United States Code.
            (4) Painful research.--The term ``painful research'' 
        includes any research, biomedical training, experimentation, or 
        biological testing classified in pain category D or E by the 
        Department of Agriculture.
            (5) Service animal.--The term ``service animal'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 37.3 of title 49, Code of 
        Federal Regulations.
                                 <all>

Auto-Whip

Where House representatives currently stand

Built from official statements, public releases, and voting records where they exist. Members without enough evidence are marked as no position.

448 tracked

Support

448

No Position

Oppose

Support

Members whose public record points toward backing the bill.

No members in this group yet.

Opposition

Members whose public record points toward opposition.

No members in this group yet.

No Position

Members we are still tracking, but without enough public evidence yet.

448

Alma Adams

D-North Carolina · District 12

No position

HELP PETS Act

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

Support

Opposition

No Position

Party Positions

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Take Action

Active Organizations

HELP PETS Act

Legislative Progress

Plain-Language Summary

Key Provisions

★ Why this matters

● Who this affects

Bill Text

Where House representatives currently stand

Support

Opposition

No Position

Party Positions

Democratic Party

Republican Party

Take Action

Active Organizations