The Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act would expand the federal Animal Welfare Act to include reptiles, amphibians, fish, and cephalopods under its protections for the first time. Currently, the Animal Welfare Act covers warm-blooded animals like dogs, cats, and primates, but excludes cold-blooded species used in research and exhibition. This bill would extend the same welfare requirements and oversight standards to cold-blooded animals in laboratories, zoos, and other facilities where they are used for research, testing, or public display. The legislation maintains existing exemptions for farm animals and animals bred specifically for food production, as well as for rats and mice bred for research purposes. The bill, introduced in September 2024, contains no specific funding allocations or implementation timelines and would require the Department of Agriculture to enforce these new protections for cold-blooded species.
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