Introduced in House — H.R. 1085

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1085

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 6, 2025

Mr. Nehls (for himself, Ms. Titus, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Ms. Malliotakis, Mr. Gooden, and Mr. Mackenzie) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the National Institutes of Health from awarding any support for an activity or program that uses live animals in research unless the research occurs in the United States, and for other purposes.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas Act of 2025 or the CARGO Act of 2025.

Sec. 2. Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

From fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2021, the National Institutes of Health provided approximately $2.2 billion to foreign organizations for research projects involving animals.

(2)

The National Institutes of Health does not conduct inspections of foreign organizations, and these organizations self-report information pertaining to animal welfare, creating a risk that information will be misrepresented.

(3)

This lack of oversight has resulted in the mistreatment of animals used in research projects performed outside the United States and funded by the American public.

Sec. 3. No NIH support for use of live animals in research by persons outside of the United States

Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289d) is amended—

(1)

in subsections (a)(3) and (c)(1)(A), by striking subsection (b) each place it appears and inserting subsection (c);

(2)

in subsection (b)(1) by striking subsection (a)(3) and inserting subsection (b)(3);

(3)

in subsections (b)(1), (b)(3)(A), (b)(3)(C), (c)(1)(A), and (d)(1), by striking subsection (a) each place it appears and inserting subsection (b);

(4)

in subsection (e), by striking subsections (a) or (c) and inserting subsection (b) or (d);

(5)

by redesignating subsections (a) through (e) (as amended by this section) as subsections (b) through (f), respectively; and

(6)

by inserting before subsection (b) (as so redesignated) the following:

(a)
(1)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the National Institutes of Health may not award any support (including any grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or technical assistance) for any activity or program that uses live animals for research unless the research occurs in the United States.
(2)
For purposes of paragraph (1), the term United States includes, in addition to the several States, the District of Columbia and any territory or possession of the United States.