HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH 7 
Commissioner for public inspection, study, and copying, except when the records 
of specific projects are certified by appropriate authorities to involve the military 
security of the United States. 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 
Washington, September 28, 1926. 
Hon. Oren Harris, 
Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, 
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 
Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in response to your request of February 24, 1961, 
for a report on H.R. 1937, a bill “To provide for humane treatment of animals 
used in experiments and research by recipients of grants from the United States, 
and by agencies and instrumentalities of the United States, and for other 
purposes.” 
I have asked the Surgeon General for an analysis of this bill. For the reasons 
stated in his attached memorandum, we recommend against enactment of H.R. 
1937. 
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, 
Anthony J. Celebrezze, 
Secretary. 
Enclosure. 
U.S. Government Memorandum 
Date: September 28, 1962. 
To : The Secretary. 
From : The Surgeon General. 
Subject: Analysis of H.R. 1937. 
The bill would provide for a system of controls for assuring the humane 
treatment of animals used in research, experiments, tests, or training by agencies 
of the United States or by persons conducting research, etc., under Federal 
grants or contracts. This system of controls would be administered by the 
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. 
The bill would prohibit any grant or contract from being made by any Federal 
agency after January 1, 1962, to any person who uses live animals in research, 
etc., unless such person has a certificate of compliance issued by the Secretary. 
Furthermore, the bill would provide that “painful experiments or tests” on living 
animals could be conducted only by persons licensed by the Secretary (or by 
students under the direct supervision of such a licensee). The Secretary 
would be required to issue licenses to individuals to engage in experiments or 
tests if he “is satisfied that such individuals are qualified for such purpose.” 
The bill would prohibit any experiment or test on living animals from being 
undertaken or performed by a holder of a certificate of compliance or by a 
Federal agency, unless a project plan had been filed with the Secretary describ- 
ing the nature and purposes of the project and the procedures to be employed 
with respect to living animals. The Secretary would be authorized to reject 
any project plan if it does not conform with any provision of the bill “or any of 
the purposes stated in the bill.” 
The bill would also require the maintenance of accurate records on all experi- 
ments and tests performed, the employment of procedures which would make 
posible the identification of animals subjected to specified experiments and tests, 
and the recording of disposition of the animals. Annual reports would be 
required, specifying the number of animals used, the procedures employed and 
“such other matters as the Secretary may prescribe.” These annual reports 
would also be required to include a copy of any published work prepared or 
sponsored by the reporting person or agency involving the use of live animals. 
The bill would require each holder of a certificate of compliance and each 
Federal agency to comply with various requirements, with respect to the feeding, 
housing, and care of animals, including, among others, the requirement that 
animals used in any experiment which would result in pain must be anesthetized 
so as to prevent the animals from feeling pain during and after the experiment, 
except to the extent that the use of anesthetics would frustrate the object of the 
experiment. In any event, however, animals which suffered severe and pro- 
longed pain would be required to be killed painlessly. Unless the project plan 
