HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 11 
licenses in the attainment of objectives is a desirable approach. Similarly, the 
filing of a project plan and reporting thereon to a specified Department of 
Government for each agricultural experiment or test involving the use of live 
animals would not be a practicable approach from the standpoint of the paper- 
work involved. This would cause unconscionable delays in initiation of research. 
The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the presenta- 
tion of this report from the standpoint of the administration’s program. 
Sincerely yours, 
Orville L. Freeman, Secretary. 
Department of the Army, 
Washington, D.C., October 12, 1962. 
Hon. Oren Harris, 
Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 
House of Representatives. 
Dear Mr. Chairman : Reference is made to your request to the Secretary 
of Defense for views of the Department of Defense with respect to H.R. 1937, 
87th Congress, a bill to provide for the humane treatment of animals used in 
experiments and tests, etc. The Secretary of Defense has delegated to the 
Department of the Army the responsibility for expressing the views of the De- 
partment of Defense thereon. 
The purpose of the bill is stated in the title. The bill, if enacted, would estab- 
lish as Federal policy that scientific investigators supported by Federal funds 
must provide humane treatment to the live animals used in their researches, 
specifically to include adequate food, space, rest, exercise, sanitation, light, 
ventilation, temperature control, and most important, freedom from unnec- 
essary pain. The bill goes on to provide an administrative mechanism under 
the Secretary, Health, Education, and Welfare, designed to effectuate this 
policy. Only those who obtain compliance certificates from the Department of 
Health, Education, and Welfare would be eligible for Federal grant support ; 
compliance certification could only be obtained and maintained by those whose 
existing research projects, if any, are determined to comply with the bill’s policy ; 
who submit descriptions of their proposed research plans to the Department of 
Health, Education, and Welfare ; keep detailed records of animals used and the 
care afforded them ; make such records, animals, and the project premises avail- 
able to inspection by representatives of the Department of Health, Education, 
and Welfare ; make annual and additional requested reports to the Department 
of Health, Education, and Welfare concerning the live animal procedures used 
in their research projects ; and have adequate facilities to enable the applicant 
to comply with the bill’s policy, and who are then determined by the Depart- 
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare based on the above-listed considera- 
tions, to be in compliance with the bill’s policy. 
The Department of the Army on behalf of the Department of Defense is 
opposed to the above-mentioned bill, although it is in agreement with the bill’s 
stated purpose of providing humane treatment to animals used in research. 
It is present Department of Defense practice to provide humane treatment 
to the live experimental animals used in “in-house” research projects of the De- 
partment of Defense, generally in accordance with the bill’s policy, as described 
in section 1 of the bill, and in accord with the principles of laboratory animal 
care of the National Society for Medical Research in this connection, and con- 
tractors and grantees of the Department of Defense who use live animals in 
research projects supported by the Department of Defense are expected and 
encouraged to do the same. This factor is already taken into account in the 
awarding of Government grants. Under the circumstances, the requirement 
set forth in section 5 of the bill that the Secretary of Health, Education, and 
Welfare pass on the qualifications of all research scientists who use laboratory 
animals, would be, if adopted, unnecessary duplication. Moreover, this De- 
partment does not perceive the need for Federal legislation such as is proposed 
in H.R. 1937, 87th Congress, in the absence of demonstrated failure either by the 
Department of Defense or its contractors and grantees to live up to humane 
standards of treatment of laboratory animals. 
In particular detail, the bill is opposed for the following reasons: 
Section 4(g) of the bill requires that all research plans involving the use 
of live animals and supported by Government funds be filed in such form as 
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare prescribes, and describe the 
nature of and purposes of the project and the procedures to be employed with 
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