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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0422*
SENATE BILL 422
M4 6lr1587
SB 537/25 – EEE CF HB 665
By: Senator Kramer
Introduced and read first time: January 30, 2026
Assigned to: Education, Energy, and the Environment
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals – Adoption and 2
Reporting Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of applying certain provisions of law regarding the adoption of dogs and 4
cats used for scientific research purposes to testing facilities; requiring certain 5
research facilities and testing facilities to submit to the Department of Agriculture 6
certain information regarding dogs and cats on or before a certain date each year; 7
requiring a school or an institution of higher education that uses animals for certain 8
purposes to submit a report on the results of certain inspections to the General 9
Assembly on or before a certain date each year; and generally relating to research 10
facilities and testing facilities that use animals in research, education, or testing. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Agriculture 13
Section 15–101 and 15–103 through 15–106 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Agriculture 18
Section 15 –101 to be under the amended title “Title 15. Research Facilities and 19
Testing Facilities That Use Animals” 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2016 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 22
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACT ED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 23
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 24
Article – Agriculture 25
2 SENATE BILL 422
Title 15. Research Facilities [that] AND TESTING FACILITIES THAT Use [Dogs or Cats] 1
ANIMALS. 2
15–101. 3
(A) IN THIS TITLE THE FOL LOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 4
INDICATED. 5
(B) (1) “RESEARCH FACILITY” MEANS ANY FACILITY IN THE STATE THAT 6
USES LIVE ANIMALS FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, OR EXPERIMENTATION. 7
(2) “RESEARCH FACILITY ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A P ARTNERSHIP, A 8
CORPORATION, AN ASSOCIATION , AN INSTITUTI ON, AN ORGANIZATION , OR ANY 9
OTHER ENTITY IN THE STATE THAT PROVIDES O NLY BENEFICIAL SERVICES TO AN 10
ANIMAL, SUCH AS SPAYING AND NEUTERING. 11
(C) (1) “TESTING FACILITY ” MEANS A PUBLIC OR PR IVATE 12
PARTNERSHIP, CORPORATION, ASSOCIATION, ORGANIZATION, OR OTHER ENTITY IN 13
THE STATE THAT USES ANIMALS FOR THE TESTING OF: 14
(I) CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES; 15
(II) INGREDIENTS; 16
(III) DRUGS; 17
(IV) VACCINES; 18
(V) PRODUCTS; OR 19
(VI) PRODUCT FORMULATIONS. 20
(2) “TESTING FACILITY ” INCLUDES A PARTNERSH IP, A 21
CORPORATION, AN ASSOCIATION, AN ORGANIZATION, OR ANY OTHER ENTITY IN THE 22
STATE THAT IS OWNED, LEASED, OR OPERATED BY A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE ENTITY. 23
(3) “TESTING FACILITY ” DOES NOT INCLUDE A P ARTNERSHIP, A 24
CORPORATION, AN ASSOCIATION , AN INSTITUTION , AN ORGANIZAT ION, OR ANY 25
OTHER ENTITY IN THE STATE THAT PROVIDES O NLY BENEFICIAL SERVICES TO AN 26
ANIMAL, SUCH AS SPAYING AND NEUTERING. 27
[15–101.] 15–102. 28
(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 29
SENATE BILL 422 3
(2) “Animal rescue organization” includes: 1
(i) A nonprofit organization incorporated for the purpose of rescuing 2
animals in need and finding permanent adoptive homes for the animals; and 3
(ii) A government –operated animal control unit that provides 4
animals for adoption. 5
(3) [“Research facility” includes: 6
(i) A higher education research facility; 7
(ii) A scientific research facility; 8
(iii) A medical research facility; and 9
(iv) A product testing facility. 10
(4)] “Scientific research purposes” includes: 11
(i) Investigation; 12
(ii) Experimentation; 13
(iii) Instruction; and 14
(iv) Testing. 15
(b) This section applies to a dog or cat that, in the determination of an attending 16
veterinarian, is suitable for adoption. 17
(c) A research facility OR TESTING FACILITY located in the State in which dogs 18
or cats are used for scientific research purposes shall take reasonable steps to provide for 19
the adoption of a dog or cat that, in the determination of the research facility OR TESTING 20
FACILITY, is no longer needed for scientific research purposes by: 21
(1) Establishing a private placement process to provide for the adoption of 22
a dog or cat; 23
(2) Establishing a list of animal rescue organizations that are approved by 24
the research facility OR TESTING FACILITY and are willing to take a dog or cat from the 25
research facility OR TESTING FACILITY; and 26
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(3) Offering the dog or cat to the animal rescue organizations identified in 1
the list established under item (2) of this subsection if the research facility OR TESTING 2
FACILITY is unable to place the dog or cat through its private placement process. 3
(d) A research facility OR TESTING FACILITY may enter into a collaborative 4
agreement with an animal rescue organization for the purpose of carrying out the 5
provisions of this section. 6
15–103. 7
(A) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 31 EACH YEAR , EACH RESEARCH FACILI TY 8
AND TESTING FACILITY THAT USES LIVE ANIMALS FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, OR 9
TESTING SHALL SUBMIT TO THE SECRETARY THE FOLLOWI NG INFORMATION 10
REGARDING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING 12–MONTH PERIOD: 11
(1) THE NUMBER OF DOGS OR CATS OWNED AND USED BY THE 12
RESEARCH FACILITY OR TESTING FACILITY; AND 13
(2) THE NUMBER OF DOGS OR CATS RELEASED TO ANI MAL RESCUE 14
ORGANIZATIONS UNDER § 15–102 OF THIS TITLE AND TH E NAMES OF THE ANIMA L 15
RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS TO WHICH THE DOGS OR CATS WERE RELEASED. 16
(B) THE SECRETARY SHALL: 17
(1) PREPARE AN ANNUAL REPORT AGGREGATING THE INFORMATION 18
SUBMITTED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND 19
(2) POST THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT’S WEBSITE. 20
15–104. 21
(A) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31 EACH YEAR , A SCHOOL OR AN 22
INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT USES ANIMALS FOR THE SAME PURPOSE 23
AS A RESEARCH FACILI TY OR TESTING FACILI TY SHALL REPORT TO T HE GENERAL 24
ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, 25
ON THE RESULTS OF AN Y INSPECTION OF THE SCHOOL OR THE INSTIT UTION OF 26
HIGHER EDUCATION PERFORMED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OR 27
ANY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY. 28
(B) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION 29
SHALL INCLUDE ANY VIOLATIONS FOUND DURING AN INSPECTION. 30
15–105. 31
SENATE BILL 422 5
A RESEARCH FACILITY OR TESTING FACILITY THAT VIOLATES THIS TITL E IS 1
SUBJECT TO: 2
(1) FOR A FIRST OFFENSE, A FINE NOT EXCEEDING $1,000; AND 3
(2) FOR A SECOND OR SUBSE QUENT OFFENSE , A FINE NOT 4
EXCEEDING $5,000. 5
15–106. 6
THE DEPARTMENT MAY ADOPT REGULATIONS TO: 7
(1) CARRY OUT THIS TITLE; AND 8
(2) ENSURE THE HUMANE TREATMENT AND CARE OF DOGS AND CATS 9
THAT ARE USED FOR RE SEARCH, EDUCATION, OR TESTING CONSISTENT WITH THE 10
FEDERAL ANIMAL WELFARE ACT AND CORRESPONDING REGULATIONS. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2026. 13