Calvert proposes bipartisan bill to bolster federal mandates for animal testing

U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) on Jan. 4 reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would advance alternative methods and increase transparency around reporting of federal animal testing processes.

The Federal Accountability in Chemical Testing (FACT) Act, H.R. 249, aims to replace inefficient, big-dollar animal tests with quicker, less expensive and more modern methods for assessing the safety of chemicals, drugs, foods, cosmetics and other substances, according to a Jan. 4 statement released by Rep. Calvert’s office.

“I am reintroducing the FACT Act in order to protect animals and taxpayers from unnecessary animal tests funded by the federal government,” Rep. Calvert said, adding that he’s worked closely with animal advocates for years to reduce testing that could be done without using animals.

H.R. 249 would equip Congress with the vital information it needs to determine if federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have met federal mandates “to replace expensive and preventable animal testing whenever possible, because evidence suggests they are not,” said the congressman.

Specifically, H.R. 249 would amend the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) Authorization Act of 2000 to specify that mandated biennial progress reports must include details on how many animals were used by each agency and for what tests, among other provisions, according to Rep. Calvert’s statement.

Currently, federal laws require government agencies to reduce animal tests by using high-tech alternative tests, such as cell-based tests and computer models, according to the statement.

But federal agencies haven’t been reporting on the number of animals they used in testing or what they were used for, according to the statement, “making it impossible for Congress to assess their compliance and progress to replace wasteful animal tests.”

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Dina Titus (D-NV) signed on as original cosponsors of H.R. 249, which was referred for consideration to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Rep. Calvert originally introduced the FACT Act in February 2017. The measure garnered 70 cosponsors and was considered by the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee.