April 21, 2025
Ms. McCollum introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to include cold-blooded species as animals, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act
.
Sec. 2. Including reptiles and fish as animals under Animal Welfare Act
Section 2(g) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2132(g)) is amended to read as follows:
(g)
(1)
The term animal means any live or dead warm-blooded animal (including a dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or bird), cold-blooded animal (including a reptile, amphibian, cephalopod, or fish), or such other animal as the Secretary may determine is being used, or is intended for use, for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet.
(2)
Such term excludes—
(A)
birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research;
(B)
horses not used for research purposes; and
(C)
other farmed animals, such as—
(i)
livestock, poultry, or fish used or intended for use as food or fiber; or
(ii)
livestock, poultry, or fish used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber.
(3)
With respect to a dog, such term means all dogs, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.