F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 1201 2024
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to research animals; creating s.
3 828.067, F.S.; requiring research facilities to offer
4 certain dogs and cats for adoption to societies or
5 associations for the prevention of cruelty to animals
6 before euthanizing such dogs and cats; authorizing
7 research facilities to enter into collaborative
8 agreements with such societies and associations;
9 providing immunity from liability for research
10 facilities acting in good faith; requiring research
11 facilities to submit specified annual reports to the
12 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
13 beginning on a specified date; providing penalties;
14 creating s. 828.068, F.S.; providing definitions;
15 requiring certain publicly funded institutions to make
16 an annual report concerning animal testing activities;
17 providing requirements for the report; providing an
18 effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Section 828.067, Florida Statutes, is created
23 to read:
24 828.067 Adoption of research dogs and cats.-
25 (1)(a) Before euthanizing a dog or cat that is no longer
Page 1 of 5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1201-00
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 1201 2024
26 needed for laboratory research purposes, a research facility
27 located in the state shall offer the dog or cat for adoption to
28 any society or association for the prevention of cruelty to
29 animals, unless euthanizing the dog or cat is required for
30 health or safety reasons.
31 (b) A research facility may enter into a collaborative
32 agreement with a society or association for the prevention of
33 cruelty to animals for the purpose of carrying out the
34 provisions of this subsection.
35 (2) A research facility that offers a dog or cat to a
36 society or association for the prevention of cruelty to animals
37 pursuant to subsection (1) is immune from civil liability for or
38 resulting from the transfer of the dog or cat if the research
39 facility acted in good faith concerning the health and physical
40 condition of the dog or cat.
41 (3) Beginning January 31, 2025, and each January 31
42 thereafter, a research facility that uses dogs or cats for
43 laboratory research shall submit to the Department of
44 Agriculture and Consumer Services a report that includes the
45 following information for the preceding year:
46 (a) The total number of dogs and cats owned by the
47 facility.
48 (b) The total number of dogs and cats used for research
49 conducted at the facility.
50 (c) The total number of dogs and cats released by the
Page 2 of 5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1201-00
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 1201 2024
51 facility to a society or association for the prevention of
52 cruelty to animals for the purpose of adoption.
53 (d) The name and address of each society or association
54 for the prevention of cruelty to animals to which a dog or cat
55 was released by the facility.
56 (4) A research facility that violates subsection (1) may
57 be ordered to pay a civil fine of up to $2,000 per violation in
58 an action to be brought by the state attorney of the county in
59 which the violation occurred.
60 Section 2. Section 828.068, Florida Statutes, is created
61 to read:
62 828.068 Reporting on animal testing.—
63 (1) As used in this section, the term:
64 (a) "Animal" means any live vertebrate nonhuman animal.
65 (b) "Animal testing facility" means a facility of a state
66 agency or institution of higher education that confines and uses
67 animals for research, education, or testing or other
68 experimental, scientific, or medical purposes. The term does not
69 include any facility exclusively engaging in agriculture ,as
70 defined in s. 570.02, or any agricultural education event.
71 (c) "Animal test method" means a process or procedure that
72 uses animals for research, education, testing, or experimental,
73 scientific, or biomedical purposes.
74 (d) "Contract testing facility" means any partnership,
75 corporation, association, or other legal relationship that
Page 3 of 5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1201-00
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 1201 2024
76 conducts research, education, testing, or experimental,
77 scientific, or biomedical studies on behalf of another entity.
78 (2) Each publicly funded animal testing facility, contract
79 testing facility, or manufacturer that uses an animal test
80 method shall submit an annual report on or before January 31,
81 2025, and each January 31 thereafter, for the preceding year to
82 the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in a form
83 prescribed by the department. The annual report shall include
84 the following information:
85 (a) The total number of animals used for research,
86 education, testing, experimentation, scientific, or medical
87 purposes with such animals identified and grouped according to
88 species.
89 (b) The total number of animals per species used for each
90 of the following purposes:
91 1. Studies of a fundamental nature in science relating to
92 essential structures, functions, or disease processes.
93 2. Research and development of treatments, products, or
94 devices for human medicine and dentistry and for veterinary
95 medicine, excluding toxicological and other safety evaluations
96 described in subparagraph 3.
97 3. Toxicological and other safety evaluations, including,
98 but not limited to, safety evaluations of products and devices
99 for human medicine, human dentistry, and veterinary medicine.
100 4. Quality control of products and devices for human or
Page 4 of 5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1201-00
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
HB 1201 2024
101 veterinary medicine.
102 5. Education and training of scientists or health care
103 providers.
104 6. Any other purpose not described in this paragraph, to
105 be specified by the person providing the information required by
106 this section.
107 (c) A detailed description of the methodology that was
108 used for obtaining the counts of animals under paragraphs (a)
109 and (b).
110 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
Page 5 of 5
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb1201-00