Rep. Calvert Introduces the HEARTS Act
Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) announced the introduction of the HEARTS Act (Humane and Existing Alternatives in Research and Testing Sciences Act), H.R. 1291, bipartisan legislation encouraging the use and development of humane alternatives to animal testing experiments funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-1) is the Democratic co-lead and original cosponsor of the HEARTS Act.
“I continue to believe that we can protect animals and taxpayers by taking steps to ensure alternatives to the use of animals in research are utilized as much as possible,” said Rep. Calvert. “The HEARTS Act is an important step to stop the unnecessary use of animals in testing and research performed by the NIH. This is a bipartisan effort and I appreciate the support of my colleague Congressman Pappas.”
“The NIH represents the gold standard for groundbreaking science, research, and development that improves the lives of people around the world. It should lead on advancing modern research and testing methods as well,” said Rep. Pappas. “The HEARTS Act will foster the development and use of humane, non-animal testing methods in federally funded experiments by NIH. I’m glad to once again partner with Congressman Calvert on this bipartisan legislation.”
The HEARTS Act is supported by Cruelty Free International, who said:
"The US National Institutes of Health faces growing pressure to replace animal use in publicly funded research. The HEARTS Act supports this transition by incentivizing non-animal methods and ensuring research proposals are reviewed by experts in modern alternatives. The Act also establishes a center dedicated to funding non-animal research, tracking animal use, and developing strategies to reduce it. Accelerating the adoption of non-animal methods can enhance the cost-effectiveness of federal research, drive scientific innovation, improve therapies for human conditions, and save animal lives. Cruelty Free International appreciates the leadership of Representatives Calvert and Pappas in sponsoring the HEARTS Act."
The HEARTS Act would prioritize the use of alternatives by amending the Public Health Services Act to require:
(1) the establishment of incentives for investigators to use available non-animal methods whenever feasible and applicable;
(2) the NIH to establish and maintain research proposal guidelines for conducting thorough searches for non-animal alternatives to the use of animals for biomedical and behavioral research;
(3) that proposal reviewers have access to a reference librarian with expertise in evaluating the adequacy of the search methods for alternatives described in the protocol;
(4) that proposals be reviewed by at least one person with expertise in non-animal research methods. Additionally, the HEARTS Act would establish a “National Center for Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing” within the National Institutes of Health with the goal of aiding, funding, and training to educate scientists in alternatives to the use of animals in research, and support for human-centered methods. The new National Center would also track the number of animals used in federally funded research and be tasked with developing a plan for reducing those numbers.
Lastly, the bill seeks to update the definition of “animal” to include cephalopods (octopuses, etc.) to ensure that these animals receive the minimum protections afforded to other animals used in NIH-funded research. This change is consistent with regulations in the EU and UK.
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