---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 283e"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "283e"
heading: "Plan for use of animals in research"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/283e"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter III — National Research Institutes"
  - "Part A — National Institutes of Health"
---

# §283e. Plan for use of animals in research

- (a) **Preparation—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH, after consultation with the committee established under [subsection (e)](#e), shall prepare a plan—
  - (1) for the National Institutes of Health to conduct or support research into—
    - (A) methods of biomedical research and experimentation that do not require the use of animals;
    - (B) methods of such research and experimentation that reduce the number of animals used in such research;
    - (C) methods of such research and experimentation that produce less pain and distress in such animals; and
    - (D) methods of such research and experimentation that involve the use of marine life (other than marine mammals);
  - (2) for establishing the validity and reliability of the methods described in [paragraph (1)](#a-1);
  - (3) for encouraging the acceptance by the scientific community of such methods that have been found to be valid and reliable; and
  - (4) for training scientists in the use of such methods that have been found to be valid and reliable.
- (b) **Submission to Congressional committees—** Not later than October 1, 1993, the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources of the Senate, the plan required in [subsection (a)](#a) and shall begin implementation of the plan.
- (c) **Periodic review and revision—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall periodically review, and as appropriate, make revisions in the plan required under [subsection (a)](#a). A description of any revision made in the plan shall be included in the first biennial report under [section 283 of this title](/usc/42/283.md) that is submitted after the revision is made.
- (d) **Dissemination of information—** The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall take such actions as may be appropriate to convey to scientists and others who use animals in biomedical or behavioral research or experimentation information respecting the methods found to be valid and reliable under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2).
- (e) **Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Use of Animals in Research—**
  - (1) The [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH shall establish within the National Institutes of Health a committee to be known as the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Use of Animals in Research (in this subsection referred to as the “Committee”).
  - (2) The Committee shall provide advice to the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH on the preparation of the plan required in [subsection (a)](#a).
  - (3) The Committee shall be composed of—
    - (A) the [Directors](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of each of the national research institutes (or the designees of such [Directors](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5)); and
    - (B) representatives of the Environmental Protection [Agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), the Food and [Drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the National Science Foundation, and such additional [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) as the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of NIH determines to be appropriate, which representatives shall include not less than one veterinarian with expertise in laboratory-animal medicine.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title IV, § 404C, as added Pub. L. 103–43, title II, § 205(a), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 146; amended Pub. L. 112–74, div. F, title II, § 221(d)(2), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1090.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2011—Subsec. (e)(3)(A). Pub. L. 112–74 struck out “and the Director of the Center for Research Resources” after “institutes”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Labor and Human Resources of Senate changed to Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of Senate by Senate Resolution No. 20, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 19, 1999.

Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.