Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Painful Research and Investigations on Monkeys Abused in Taxpayer-funded Experiments Stops Act of 2024” or the “PRIMATES Act of 2024”.
Painful Research and Investigations on Monkeys Abused in Taxpayer-funded Experiments Stops Act of 2024
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting research that causes significant pain or distress to a nonhuman primate, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Prohibition on NIH research causing significant pain or distress to nonhuman primates
In general— Part H of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 495 (42 U.S.C. 289d) the following:
“495A. Prohibition on NIH research causing significant pain or distress to nonhuman primates
“(a) In general—The National Institutes of Health may not—
“(1) conduct or support any research that causes significant pain or distress to a nonhuman primate; or
“(2) transfer any nonhuman primate owned by the National Institutes of Health to any intramural or extramural laboratory for use in research that causes significant pain or distress.
“(b) Definition—In this section, the term research that causes significant pain or distress includes any study classified in pain category D or E by the Department of Agriculture.”
Applicability— The amendment made by subsection (a) applies beginning on the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Sec. 3 NIH report on research causing pain or distress to nonhuman primates
Part H of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 289 et seq.), as amended by section 2, is further amended by inserting after section 495A the following:
“495B. NIH report on research causing pain or distress to nonhuman primates
“(a) In general—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Director of the NIH shall publish on the NIH website, and submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report on the use of nonhuman primates in NIH-conducted and supported biomedical research.
“(b) Contents of report—Each report under subsection (a) shall include, for the period covered by the report—
“(1) a list of all ongoing or prospective research projects involving a nonhuman primate that are conducted or supported by the NIH;
“(2) for each project—
“(A) the project title;
“(B) the grant or contract number;
“(C) the research abstract;
“(D) the research location;
“(E) the cost to taxpayers during the previous fiscal year and since inception;
“(F) the number of nonhuman primates used;
“(G) the projected start and end dates;
“(H) the Department of Agriculture pain and distress category; and
“(I) the amount of funds obligated or estimated to be obligated for each such project;
“(3) an explanation of—
“(A) efforts to phase out the use of nonhuman primates in research that is conducted or supported by the NIH; and
“(B) any barriers to such phase out; and
“(4) the number of nonhuman primates retired from research conducted or supported by the NIH and relocated to sanctuaries.
“(c) Definitions—In this section:
“(1) The term NIH means the National Institutes of Health.
“(2) The term research that causes significant pain or distress includes any study classified in pain category D or E by the Department of Agriculture.”
Sec. 5 GAO study on NIH nonhuman primate research and efforts to reduce use of nonhuman primates in testing
In general— Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to the Congress that—
reviews and summarizes the use of nonhuman primates in research that is conducted or supported by the NIH;
identifies NIH policies and initiatives aimed at reducing and replacing the specific use of nonhuman primates in research that is conducted or supported by the NIH;
assesses the effectiveness of any NIH policies and initiatives aimed at reducing and replacing the use of nonhuman primates in NIH-conducted and supported research;
compares NIH efforts to reduce and replace nonhuman primate testing to similar efforts at other Federal agencies;
identifies areas where the NIH can improve—
efforts to reduce and replace the use of nonhuman primates in research that is conducted or supported by the NIH; and
public reporting on progress made;
assesses the effectiveness of any NIH policies and initiatives aimed at retiring nonhuman primates no longer needed in research conducted or supported by the NIH to sanctuaries;
makes recommendations for improving—
the effectiveness of efforts to reduce and replace the use of nonhuman primates in research conducted or supported by the NIH; and
public reporting on progress made; and
includes any other matter the Comptroller General of the United States determines important to assessing and improving NIH’s efforts to reduce and replace the use of nonhuman primates in federally funded research.
Definitions— In this section:
The term NIH means the National Institutes of Health.
The term research that causes significant pain or distress includes any study classified in pain category D or E by the Department of Agriculture.