14 HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 
We assume that the bill is of special interest to the Department of Health, 
Education, and Welfare and understand that the committee has requested the 
views of that agency. For the reasons stated above, I am unable to recommend 
favorable consideration of H.R. 1937 by your committee. 
We are advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the 
presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration’s program. 
Sincerely, 
W. J. Driver, Deputy Administrator. 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
Washington, D.C., September 27, 1962. 
Hon. Oren Harris, 
Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 
Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in reply to your letter of February 9, 1961, 
requesting the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on 
H.R. 1937, a bill to provide for the humane treatment of animals used in experi- 
ments and tests by recipients of grants and instrumentalities of the U.S. Gov- 
ernment and for other purposes. 
It would be the declared policy of the United States that living vertebrate 
animals be used for scientific experiments only when no other method was avail- 
able to obtain information for the cure of disease, alleviation of suffering, 
prolongation of life, or for military requirements. Animals would be well fed, 
sheltered, and handled ; would be spared unnecessary pain ; would be anesthetized 
as much as possible ; and would be painlessly killed as soon as possible after the 
experiment. 
The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare would have jurisdiction 
over the use of animals. He would certificate applicants shown to comply with 
the Secretary’s regulations regarding personnel, facilities, and care of animals, 
and only such certificated persons would be eligible for Federal grants or con- 
tracts involving live animal experiments. The Secretary would license applicants, 
and only licensed applicants could perform live animal experiments. Project 
plans would have to be filed with and approved by the Secretary, detailed records 
kept and reports filed with the Secretary, and the Secretary would have power to 
inspect and suspend or revoke licenses and strike project plans for violations of 
the act. 
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is in complete accord with 
the statement of policy set out in the preamble to the bill, and would recommend 
that in line 9 thereof the words “and protection” be inserted after “prolongation.” 
This would be in accord with the policy of using animal experiments to deter- 
mine the effects of space flight. 
While we agree with the policy expressed in the preamble, we feel that the 
matter is adequately covered by existing State laws and the rules and procedures 
of the American Medical Association. Such existing laws and procedures effec- 
tively control the great majority of the scientific community. While the pro- 
posed bill might effectively control the remaining small minority of scientists en- 
gaged in live animal experiments, we feel that this benefit would be far out- 
weighed by the restrictions laid on the great majority of the scientific community. 
Accordingly, we are unable to favor the enactment of H.R. 1937. 
The Bureau of the Budget has advised that it has no objection, from the stand- 
point of the administration’s program, to the submission of this report to the 
Congress. 
Sincerely yours, 
Paul G. Dembling, 
Director, Office of Legislative Affairs. 
