HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 9 
Finally, it should be noted that public and private groups are currently 
working to solve problems in this field. We will continue to support such 
efforts to foster and promote policies and practices designed to assure humane 
treatment of animals. Further, we in this Department will make every effort 
to conduct our own research activities in accordance with reasonable standards 
and to promote the adoption of such standards by recipients of our research 
grants. 
In view of our fundamental disagreement with the approach and principal fea- 
tures of the bill, as indicated above, we have not mentioned in this memorandum 
a number of other ambiguities and objectionable provisions in the bill, for the 
clarification or improvement of these provisions would not alter our opposition 
to its enactment. 
Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D.C., September 27, 1962. 
Hon. Oren Harris, 
Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 
House of Representatives. 
My Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in reply to your request for a report on H.R. 
1937, a bill to provide for the humane treatment of animals used in experiments 
and tests by recipients of grants from the United States and by agencies and 
instrumentalities of the U.S. Government and for other purposes. 
The bill would regulate scientific research, experimentation, testing, and train- 
ing involving the use of living vertebrate animals, conducted by any agency or 
instrumentality of the United States, as well as all State and private scientific 
research, experimentation, testing, and training involving the use of such animals 
if any portion of such activities is financed from Federal funds. As of January 
1, 1962, no grant for scientific research, experimentation, testing, or training or 
advance or payment under such a grant could be made to any person unless such 
person had a certificate of compliance issued by the Secretary of Health, Educa- 
tion, and Welfare. The Secretary, pursuant to such rules and regulations as he 
may prescribe, would issue certificates of compliance to persons applying therefor 
upon proof satisfactory to him that the applicant’s methods and procedures in- 
volving the use of Live animals and his personnel and facilities are in accord with 
the requirements of the bill. Each person to whom a certificate of compliance 
would be issued and each agency or instrumentality of the United States which 
uses live animals for scientific research or other activities covered by the bill 
would have to meet the following requirements : 
(а) The animals must be provided a comfortable resting place, adequate 
space and facilities for normal exercise, and adequate sanitation, lighting, 
temperature control, and ventilation ; 
( б ) The animals must receive adequate food and water and not be caused 
to suffer unnecessary or avoidable pain through neglect or mishandling; 
(c) Animals used in painful experiments must be anesthetized except 
where the use of anesthetics would frustrate the object of the experiment. 
In any event, animals which suffer severe and prolonged pain must be 
painlessly killed. Animals which are seriously injured during the experi- 
ment must be painlessly killed immediately upon conclusion of the operation 
unless the project plan on file with the Secretary provides otherwise ; 
(d) An accurate record must be maintained of all experiments and tests 
performed, including a record of the disposition of each animal ; 
( e ) Animal cages and enclosures must be identified by cards describing 
the nature of the experiment or by numbers which correspond to such a 
description in a record book ; 
(/) Painful experiments or tests on living animals may be conducted only 
by licensed persons or by students in an established training institution who 
are under the direct supervision of a licensee. All animals used by students 
in practice surgery or other painful procedures must be under complete 
anesthesia and be killed without being allowed to recover consciousness ; 
(g) No experiment or test on living animals may be performed unless a 
project plan is on file with the Secretary ; 
( h ) Annual and other reports must be made to the Secretary. The annual 
report must specify the number of animals used and the procedures em- 
ployed and other matters ; 
