WASHINGTON, DC, December 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed into law the last of five animal protection measures in the year-end spending bill aimed at funding the federal government for fiscal year 2023.
The FDA Modernization Act 2.0, the Reducing Animal Testing Act, and a statutory fix to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 were signed into law, along with record funding for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act of 1970.
Biden signed the law Big Cats Public Safety Act And Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act also in previous weeks.
“Reducing the number of animals used in testing, ending commercial petting, ending the use of performance-enhancing drugs in horse racing, and combating the killing of sharks for their fins are good policies for the United States.” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Center for a Humane Economy. “These laws, individually and collectively, help make our nation more humane when it comes to the treatment of animals. »
“We applaud President Biden, the White House and the 117th Congress for enacting the most comprehensive legislative victories for animals of any Congress in history,” said Marty Irbyexecutive director of Animal Wellness Action and eight-time world champion equestrian. “These new policies will revolutionize the pharmaceutical world, put an end to the ridiculous practices of petting and shark finning, and better protect our iconic American equines from the doping and long-term abuse that have plagued the equine world for half a year. -century. »
Here is the context of the legislative progress:
FDA Modernization Act and Animal Testing Reduction Act
In December 2022, federal lawmakers passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 led by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C. – including both the original FDA Modernization Act and also the Animal Testing Reduction Act – to eliminate the federal mandate for animal testing for new drugs and biosimilars. Given that perhaps 75 percent of all animals used in testing are enlisted in drug development, passage of this measure marked the largest political victory on the issue of animal testing in history. of our country. On a significant parallel track, Animal Wellness Action successfully secured an additional $5 million to support an FDA-wide New Alternative Methods program aimed at reducing animal testing (the total is $12.5 million of dollars). The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 promises to revive a broken drug development paradigm and, if vigorously implemented, will provide safer, more effective, and more reliable palliatives and cures to people in need.
Statutory Remedy of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act
Animal Wellness Action, in collaboration with the Jockey Club, worked with key legislators in the U.S. House and Senate to amend the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020, thereby amending a provision of the original law that a federal appeals court declared unconstitutional in November and jeopardized the national ban on thoroughbred doping on race days. Performance-enhancing drugs put animals at risk for breakdowns and other injuries and make the entire industry suspect. Animal Wellness Action has launched a new website, www.HISAWatchdog.org, to facilitate communication and keep a vigilant eye on regulators. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y. led this effort in Congress.
Big Cats Public Safety Act
President Joe Biden sign the standalone Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 263, led by Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Richard Blumenthal, D – Connecticut, was signed into law on December 21 after an 11-year campaign to end the trade in big cats as pets and shut down commercial petting operations that treat tiger cubs and kittens as accessories. This bill ends the pet industry, which breeds tigers and lions so customers can care for the cubs for a fee. There are thousands of big cats in private ownership, and just ten years ago there were more than 60 menageries raising their young.
Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act
Shark fins are off every menu in the United States, with Passage of Congress The Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act, an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law in December. This bill lasted seven years and targets the massive cull of 70 million sharks worldwide for their fins. Much like banning the sale of dog and cat meat in the United States, American leadership will attract worldwide attention, including in countries where there is still an appetite for shark fin soup. The effort was led by Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., and Gregario Sablan, D-N.M. in the House and Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V. led the charge to obtain this new law.
Record funding for horse protection law enforcement
Congress’ latest spending bill, funding government operations in 2023, includes a record $4.1 million to implement the Horse Welfare Act (HPA) of 1970, an increase of $1 million than the previous year’s record funding level of $3 million. This is because a segment of horse trainers torture horses to get them to exaggerate their gait and win ribbons at horse shows. With more inspections, Animal Wellness Action should be able to quell some level of lawlessness until the 52-year-old law can be improved next year. Until the group began lobbying for more funding in 2018, when the organization first opened its doors, the HPA never received more than $705,000 in funding per year since the HPA was signed into law. in 1970. Reps. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., and Hal Rogers, R.-Ky., as well as outgoing Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. played a key role in securing this funding.
With the enactment of these new measures, Animal Wellness Action has helped secure a total of 12 new animal protection laws in the four years since the organization was founded in 2018. These legislative achievements also include the Animal Safety Act. Animals and Women (PAWS), the Dogs and Animals Act. the Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act and Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement (PACE) Act, signed into law in 2018; the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Torture Act (PACT) and the Rescue of Animals with Rewards Act (RAWR), signed into law in 2019; the original HISA statue in 2020; the Puppies Helping Wounded Servicemembers Act (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy, in 202l; and the five measures Biden adopted this month.
Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a 501(c)(4) organization based in Washington, DC, whose mission is to help animals by promoting legal standards prohibiting cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of pets, farm animals and wildlife. We advocate for policies to end dog and cock fighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to combat factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote the adoption of good public policies and work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we need to elect good legislators, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe that helping animals helps us all.
The Animal Wellness Foundation (Foundation) is a private charitable organization based in Los Angeles whose mission is to help animals by making veterinary care accessible to anyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability. We provide rescues and medical services for dogs and cats in need and help homeless animals find a loving caregiver. We advocate for veterinarians to be on the front lines of the animal protection movement; promote responsible pet ownership; and vaccinating animals against infectious diseases such as distemper. We also support policies that prevent animal cruelty and alleviate suffering. We believe that helping animals helps us all.
The Center for a Humane Economy is a nonprofit organization that works to influence business conduct to forge a humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and environmental degradation and embrace innovation as a way to eliminate both. .