Press Release

(May 13, 2016) — As final discussions wind down on critical legislation on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) reform package, commonly known as The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, 39 House Democrats wrote a letter to U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ, and urged him to incorporate all elements of the Senate-passed language on animal testing. The provisions would improve the science behind chemical testing, encourage better safety decisions to protect the environment and human health, and reduce the use of animals and the terrible suffering they endure through dosing them with these poisoning substances. The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund strongly support the language, which unanimously passed the Senate in December.

"Each year, tens of thousands of animals are killed to test industrial chemicals, including those found in common household products," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "These animals suffer terribly as harsh chemicals are rubbed into their skin, forced down their throats and dropped in their eyes. This breakthrough bill would help make chemical testing smarter, faster and more reliable for regulatory decision-making and protect animals’ lives. We have extraordinary bipartisan support for this provision, along with support from animal welfare groups and the chemicals industry, and we hope that hold-out lawmakers accede to the overwhelming sense of their colleagues that a strong policy requiring the use of alternatives to animal testing where available makes good sense."

The New Jersey congressional delegation’s roots run deep on TSCA reform. The bill was named for former U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, the House negotiations are co-led by Pallone and the Senate language on animal testing was spearheaded by U.S. Senator Cory Booker.

The final requested changes ensure that existing information is used before more animal testing is requested; that tests that also replace, and not just reduce, animal tests are considered; and finally, that industry consider non-animal approaches when performing voluntary testing prior to submitting an application to EPA. It is also in line with the chemical regulation policies of foreign governments, such as the European Union.

The core elements of that language have the broad support of Senate Democrats and Republicans and also the Environmental Working Group, Environmental Defense Fund, Consumer Specialty Products Association, American Chemistry Council, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and The Humane Society of the United States.

Media Contact: Stephanie Twining, stwining@hslf.org, 301-258-1491

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Animal Protection Group Notes She's Been an Impediment on Animal Welfare and Wildlife Protection, Siding with the NRA on Keeping the Ivory Trade Legal and Weakening Protections for Wolves, Bears and Cougars

Washington, D.C. (May 10, 2016) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation's leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, launched an independent expenditure campaign, including television advertising, opposing Val Hoyle for Oregon Secretary of State.

“Voters who care about protecting wildlife and honoring the will of the people should say ‘no’ to Val Hoyle,” said Joe Maxwell, senior political director of the HSLF. “As House majority leader, Hoyle sided with the gun lobby and trophy hunters. We need a Secretary of State who is in step with the majority of Oregonians in supporting animal welfare.”

Last year, Hoyle blocked a vote on a bill that would have stopped the trade in ivory, rhino horn, and the parts of other endangered animals. Washington voters approved a similar measure, over the objections of the National Rifle Association, with a 70 percent “yes” vote, with every county in the state favoring the restrictions on wildlife trafficking. The anti-ivory bill passed the Oregon Senate but died in the House after Hoyle indicated she opposed the bill, telling The Oregonian she was “not going to pick a fight with the NRA.”

Hoyle in prior years also voted to unravel Measure 18, even though voters twice affirmed their support for it, by voting for a proposal to allow counties to opt out of the key provisions of the ban on bear baiting and hounding of bears and cougars. In 2011, Hoyle voted to weaken protections for the state's small population of wolves, who have only recently reclaimed a small portion of their range in Oregon. In 2016, the legislature enacted a bill to affirm the Oregon Fish & Wildlife Commission's decision to remove Oregon's small and vulnerable wolf populations from the state endangered species list.

The TV ad can be viewed below:

HSLF has endorsed Richard Devlin for Secretary of State. During his House and Senate terms, Devlin voted to crack down on the ivory trade, captive hunting facilities and puppy mills and opposed efforts to repeal the state’s ban on hound hunting of mountain lions and to unwind protections for the state’s small population of wolves.

Media Contact: Stephanie Twining, stwining@hslf.org, 301-258-1491

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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 25, 2016) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Kamala Harris for election to the U.S. Senate open seat in California. Citing her effective leadership and strong advocacy on animal protection policies throughout her tenure as the California Attorney General, the Humane Society Legislative Fund urges voters in California to support Harris.

“Kamala Harris has one of the strongest records of leadership on animal protection as a state Attorney General,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “She has worked to defend the state’s laws to protect sharks from the brutal practice of finning and to end the era of extreme confinement of animals on industrial factory farms. She is standing up for the values of kindness and compassion, and California voters who support the humane treatment of animals should support Kamala Harris.”

During her time in public service, among her many efforts, Harris has:

• Been on the winning side of four separate challenges to Prop 2, the voter-approved ballot measure banning extreme confinement of farm animals in small cages on factory farms, and AB 1437, the bill to apply that same standard to shell eggs sold in the state.
• Successfully defeated a challenge to California’s ban on the possession and sale of shark fins, a law passed to help reduce the demand for cutting off sharks’ fins at sea and leaving them to die slowly in the oceans.
• Appealed the federal court ruling that struck down California’s ban on the sale of foie gras, produced through the inhumane force-feeding of ducks and geese.
• Supported a law that allows judges to include a family’s pets in protective orders in domestic violence cases.

Retiring Sen. Barbara Boxer has been a champion for animal welfare issues during her long career. She received a Humane Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and was named the Legislator of the Year in 2012. Since 2010, she has led the charge on securing funding for USDA enforcement of key animal welfare laws, an effort that has yielded stronger oversight of slaughter plants, horse shows, puppy mills, laboratories, zoos, circuses, and other regulated entities, and has helped crackdown on illegal animal fighting, ease the shortage of veterinarians in rural areas and USDA inspection positions, and better meet the needs of animals in disasters. She has been a leading voice for wildlife and habitat, guiding important bills through the Environment and Public Works Committee and fending off a variety of anti-wildlife legislation. For example, she has led Senate efforts to address climate change, urged President Obama and her colleagues to maintain protections for endangered species, challenged harmful provisions subjecting wildlife and people to lead poisoning through exposure to toxic ammunition, pressed for updated regulations for the care of captive marine mammals, and played a pivotal role in getting chimpanzees transferred from barren laboratory cages to humane sanctuaries.

HSLF notes that Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., has also been a strong supporter of animal protection, co-sponsored a wide range of bills to protect animals and consistently gains high marks on the Humane Scorecard.

Media contact: Stephanie Twining, stwining@hslf.org, 301-258-1491

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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.

Bill Could Ultimately Eliminate Animal Testing

(Dec. 17, 2015)—The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund commend the U.S. Senate for passing S. 697, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, by voice vote. The bill would improve the science behind chemical testing, encourage better safety decisions to protect the environment and human health and would reduce -- if not eliminate -- the use of animals.

“Each year, tens of thousands of animals are killed to test industrial chemicals, including those found in common household products,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “These animals suffer terribly, as harsh chemicals are rubbed into their skin, forced down their throats and dropped in their eyes. This breakthrough bill would help make chemical testing smarter, faster and more reliable for regulatory decision-making and protect animals’ lives.”

S. 697 is sponsored by Sens. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and David Vitter, R-La., with 60 bipartisan cosponsors and major support from Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. on the animal testing language. The HSUS and HSLF urge the House-Senate conference to accept the Senate animal testing language when they finalize the bill.

Media Contact:Anna West: 240-751-2669; awest@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

(Dec. 16, 2015)—Several key animal protection issues were at stake in the omnibus spending package released early this morning by congressional negotiators, and The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund are celebrating major victories for horses, elephants, wolves, and other creatures. In addition to important funding for animal welfare enforcement and development of alternatives to animal testing, the omnibus bill:

• Prohibits the use of funds to allow horse slaughter plants to open in the U.S.
• Retains the Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves, and rejects congressional attempts to delist the species.
• Allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to crack down on the domestic trade in ivory to protect elephants from poaching.
• Funds much-needed protections for farm animals in research at federal facilities.

“Negotiators have done the right thing and included language to forbid anyone from setting up a horse slaughter plant on American soil,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “We don’t round up dogs and cats, butcher them, and ship them to foreign markets, and it should be unthinkable to do that with a species that helped us settle the nation.”

“Lawmakers had the good sense to keep their paws off of wolves,” added Pacelle. “These animals occupy just a fraction of their original range, and the ancestors of the domesticated dog should continue to be protected from zealots who want to kill them in a head-hunting pursuit.”

Media Contact: Anna West: 240-751-2669; awest@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- on the Web at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to the blog, A Humane Nation. Join The HSUS on Facebook. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

Elected officials scored on work to protect animals for the 2015 legislative session

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2015) – The Humane Society Legislative Fund released its 2015 California State Humane Scorecard, which provides a snapshot of California state lawmakers’ records on animal welfare policies. Lawmakers are scored based on their floor votes on a wide range of bills from banning ivory and rhino horn trade to combatting companion animal homelessness.

Sara Amundson, executive director of HSLF said; "The California State Humane Scorecard is an easy way for constituents to assess how their lawmakers acted on animal protection issues, and it helps chart the progress of our public policy work on behalf of animals in the state. In 2015, California lawmakers closed a key loophole in the state’s decades-old ban on the pernicious ivory trade and banned rhino horn commerce, enacted strong state-level policies to reduce the use of antibiotics in food animals, reauthorized two important voluntary contribution funds which support sea otter research and animal homelessness and cruelty programs. Legislators also overwhelmingly supported a bill to stop the use of archaic bullhooks to train and intimidate performing elephants. The anti-cruelty laws of a state are a reflection of our basic values and attitudes toward animals. This collection of bills is a measurable step forward for the state of California."

The Humane Society Legislative Fund scored nine bills during the session:

• AB 96, which closed the ivory trade enforcement loophole and banned the trade in rhinoceros horn.
• AB147, which requires any public university or college that uses dogs or cats for science or research purposes to make them available to animal adoption or rescue organizations.
• AB 316 and AB 317, which authorize additional veterinary and sheltering resources during emergencies.
• AB 485, which creates the Prevention of Animal Homelessness and Cruelty Fund, a voluntary contribution on personal income tax forms.
• AB 494, which authorizes courts issuing protective or restraining orders to enjoin a person to stay away from an animal or forbid a person from threatening, harming, or otherwise disposing of an animal.
• SB 17, which reauthorizes for another ¬years the California Sea Otter Fund, a voluntary contribution fund on personal income tax forms.
• SB 27, which prohibits use of antibiotics for animals raised for food unless prescribed by a veterinarian, and outlaws the routine use of antibiotics for weight gain or improved feed efficiency.
• SB 716, which bans the use of bullhooks or similar devices on elephants.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed seven of the nine scored bills, including AB 96, AB 147, AB 316, AB 485, AB 494, S.B 17 and SB 27 into law. With the passage of these laws, California continues to hold its No. 1 ranking on The Humane Society of the United States’ “Humane State Ranking” of animal protection laws, a title it has held since 2010.

Additional highlights from the 2015 California Humane Scorecard include:

• Of the 120 members of the legislature scored, 66 received perfect scores – indicating a vote in support of animal protection for all nine scored bills, including 18 senators and 48 assemblymembers.
• Seven members received more than 100 percent, reflecting their support of animal protection in all seven bills, as well as primary leadership on at least one of the scored bills:state Sens. Jerry Hill, D-13, Bill Monning, D-17 and Ricardo Lara, D-33 and Assemblymembers Toni Atkins, D-78, Matt Dababneh, D-45, Brian Maeinschein, R-77, and Das Williams, D-37.
• The average score for state senators was 88 percent.
• The average score for assemblymembers was 93 percent.
• Only one state senator and one assemblymember scored less than 50 percent.
• There were 25 members of the legislative animal protection caucus, which sponsors nonpartisan forums and briefings, tracks the progress of relevant legislation, provides members with dependable information on animal welfare issues and works to build broad coalitions in support of common-sense animal welfare laws.

Media Contact
Naseem Amini: 240-778-5545; namini@hslf.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 15, 2015) The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, has launched a new TV ad campaign urging Louisiana voters to support David Vitter for Governor. The TV ad, which will run through the Oct. 24 primary election, can be viewed below:

Sara Amundson, executive director of HSLF, said: “David Vitter has been an effective leader in fighting for common-sense policies to protect animals. He has led bipartisan efforts to crack down on illegal dogfighting and abusive puppy mills, and is standing up for pets and the families who love them. A vote for David Vitter is a vote for the humane treatment of animals.”

Both in Congress and at home in Louisiana, David Vitter has strongly advocated for numerous animal protection policies. Vitter has:

• Protected families and their pets: After Hurricane Katrina, he worked to ensure pets are included in disaster plans, and increased the capacity for animal welfare and disaster relief in the Gulf region.
• Opposed animal fighting and the associated violence and crime: He sponsored legislation to strengthen the penalties for interstate animal fighting activities, and he successfully criminalized attending and bringing a child to a dogfight or cockfight.
• Cracked down on abusive puppy mills: He sponsored the Puppy Uniform Protection and Safety (PUPS) Act and worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to set standards of animal care for large-scale commercial dog breeders selling puppies via the Internet.
• Stopping malicious cruelty and torture: He cosponsored successful legislation in 2010 to ban commerce in animal “crush” videos showing the intentional torture of puppies, kittens and other live animals for the sexual pleasure of viewers, and cosponsored new legislation (the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act) to make malicious animal cruelty a crime on federal property and in interstate commerce.
• Reduced chemical testing on animals: He sponsored legislation to update chemical safety tests and reduce the testing of chemicals on animals, bringing the chemical industry and environmental and animal protection groups together to find solutions.
• Enforced animal protection laws to stop cruelty and abuse: He led the multi-year effort to step up enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, the Horse Protection Act and the federal animal fighting law, as well as implement programs to address the needs of animals in disasters and to ease a shortage of veterinarians in rural and inner-city areas and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture through student loan forgiveness.
• Protecting horses from abuse: He cosponsored the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act to strengthen the federal law against the “soring” of show horses—using caustic chemicals and other painful substances to injure the horses’ hooves and legs to induce a high-stepping gait.
• Protected public health and safety from exotic animals: He sponsored the Captive Primate Safety Act to prohibit the interstate commerce in chimpanzees and other primates in the exotic pet trade, which poses a danger to animal welfare and to public health and safety.

Media Contact: Stephanie Twining, stwining@hslf.org, 301-258-1491

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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.

The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.

WASHINGTON (Oct. 6, 2015) – At a Capitol press conference, supporters of chemical safety reform urged Congress to pass the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (S.697). The bipartisan bill would overhaul the nation's chemical safety law, the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, and contains language that will replace the use of animals for testing chemicals for toxicity in risk assessments. It supports cutting-edge computational toxicology and other alternative methods and strategies that are faster, more predictive of human risk and often less expensive than animal testing.

The proposal is named for the late Sen. Lautenberg, who long pushed to reform TSCA, which turns 39 on Oct. 11. The bill has the support of 60 senators from 38 states and is ready for a vote. Participants wished TSCA an "unhappy birthday" and urged Congress not to let TSCA turn 40 without being reformed.

Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, states: “We have an opportunity to revolutionize the way chemicals are tested, which will provide the foundation to end animal testing in the long run while increasing public safety. We commend Senators Udall and Vitter, both determined animal advocates, for actively supporting efforts to insert critical language to make animal testing a last resort, and Senator Booker for championing 21st century science and animal protection. With 60 bipartisan cosponsors, we urge leadership to bring the bill to the floor as soon as possible.”

Others in attendance included:

• Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M.
• Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
• Bonnie Lautenberg, widow of former Sen. Frank Lautenberg
• Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
• Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.
• Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.
• Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.
• Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.
• Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
• Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass.
• Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.
• Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
• Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
• Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund
• Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation
• Cynthia Pellegrini, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs for the March of Dimes
• Dr. Neal Barnard, president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
• Cal Dooley, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council
• Jennifer Thomas, senior director for Federal Government Affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
• Anna J. Wildeman, policy counsel and committee executive on environment and agriculture for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Ross Eisenberg, vice president of energy and resources policy for the National Association of Manufacturers

Media Contact
Samantha Miller: 301-258-1466; smiller@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

Animal testing of cosmetic products and ingredients, and the sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics, would be phased out under legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Passage of the Humane Cosmetics Act (H.R. 2858) will bring the U.S. in line with more than 30 other countries—home to more than 1.7 billion consumers—that have already implemented similar bans.

The bipartisan bill was introduced by U.S. Reps. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Don Beyer (D-VA), Joe Heck (R-NV) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States said: “Given the ready availability of alternatives, there is no compelling reason to continue using outdated animal testing methods that cause tremendous animal suffering. So many companies are already using non-animal tests for shampoos, makeups and other products sold around the world, and the United States can help accelerate that trend.”

U.S. law does not require animal testing for cosmetics, but it does not prohibit it either, so in laboratories nationwide, thousands of animals are suffering and dying to test beauty products and ingredients. Mice, rabbits, rats and guinea pigs have substances forced down their throat, dripped into their eyes or smeared onto their skin, usually without pain relief.

With the introduction of legislation in Canada last week, and now the U.S., North America is poised to be the next marketplace to end cruelty for cosmetics. American consumers want to see an end to these inhumane practices. An HSUS and Humane Society Legislative Fund poll conducted in 2013 found 73 percent of American voters are in favor of federal legislation to end animal testing for cosmetics.

Rep. McSally said: "Subjecting animals to painful and inhumane testing is not who we are as a country. There's no reason to continue this cruel practice when we have cost-effective alternatives that can bring about safe products for consumers. As an animal lover and volunteer, I'm pleased to be introducing this legislation with my colleagues to take a stand against the inhumane treatment of animals."

Rep. Beyer said: "It is time for us to end the painful and completely unnecessary process of testing American cosmetics on animals. Safer, more cost effective, and completely humane alternatives already exist, and the United States is in no danger of losing its role as a competitive leader in the global cosmetics industry. Now we need to ensure our place as a moral leader.”

The bill is supported by celebrities Kesha, Jenna Dewan-Tatum and Ricky Gervais, and more than 140 companies in the cosmetics industry such as LUSH, COTY, The Body Shop, Overstock and Paul Mitchell. Multi-national cosmetics manufacturers that already comply with similar laws in more than 30 countries are encouraged to support the Humane Cosmetics Act. The bill is endorsed by The HSUS and HSLF spearheading the #BeCrueltyFree campaign in the U.S., and Humane Society International leading the campaign globally.

Media Contact
Samantha Miller: 301-258-1466; smiller@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.

In the wake of an exposé of gruesome taxpayer-funded experiments on farm animals, a key congressional committee has called for animal care standards in federal agricultural research at federal facilities.

Humane Society Legislative Fund and The Humane Society of the United States applaud inclusion of animal welfare provisions in the House Agriculture Appropriations bill that was passed out of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies today. 

The legislation prevents the Agricultural Research Service of USDA from receiving 5 percent of its appropriations ($56 million in federal funding) until ARS certifies in writing to both the House and the Senate that updates to its animal care policies have been implemented. The legislation also requires that each ARS facility using animals has a properly functioning Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, including “all appropriate and necessary record keeping.”

The subcommittee added funds to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for the agency to provide oversight of ARS’ animal research locations.

“By linking significant funding to animal welfare reforms, Congress sends a strong message to the USDA that animal abuse at federal research facilities will not be tolerated,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “The public has a particularly keen interest in rooting out the mistreatment of animals at facilities funded by our tax dollars."

This legislation follows an exposé by The New York Times in January of this year, which unveiled the suffering and death of tens of thousands of animals at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, an ARS facility located in Clay, Nebraska that was carrying out research in pursuit of increasing factory farm profits.

Abuses at USMARC include newborn lambs being left to fend for themselves from predators and extreme weather conditions and cows being ‘engineered’ to give birth to multiple calves, many of whom are born malformed. The focus on mass production leaves litters of piglets so large that some are crushed by their mother. 

HSLF and The HSUS are also urging passage of the Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research Endeavors (AWARE) Act, which will require federal facilities that conduct agricultural research on animals to follow the minimum standards of the Animal Welfare Act, a practice currently excluded from the federal law. We would further like a commitment from the USDA that they will adopt these provisions voluntarily.

The legislation, S. 388 and H.R. 746, is sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y.

Media Contact: Anna West: 301-258-1518; awest@humanesociety.org

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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.