Last week, we hosted a congressional briefing in the US House of Representatives in Washington DC entitled “Advancing Humane Science in NIH-funded Research” that highlighted the importance of the HEARTS Act (H.R. 1209) to increase the use of non-animal alternatives.

Congressional briefings provide an opportunity to educate and influence lawmakers on critical issues and legislative efforts. Our Senior Science Advisor Laura Alvarez was a featured speaker and was joined by Dr. Paul Locke of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Their informative presentations outlined the exciting modern non-animal research methods that are increasingly available to researchers, highlighted the barriers that can prevent these humane methods from being used and how these challenges could be overcome with help of the HEARTS Act.

Currently, the National Institute of Health (NIH) spends at least $12 billion a year on animal testing, but research shows that the return on investment is often low, and the results inaccurate. Prioritising the use of non-animal methods in taxpayer-funded research could improve the cost efficacy of US federal research investment and spare thousands of animals from pain, suffering and death.

The briefing was hosted in conjunction with Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Ken Calvert (R-CA), sponsors of H.R. 1209.Both Representatives Roybal-Allard and Calvert attended the briefing and spoke about the importance of continuing to move away from animal-based research and embracing new non-animal methods.

Rep Roybal-Allard  thanked us, saying: “It has been my privilege to work with Cruelty Free International today, but it has been an even greater privilege to work with this incredible organization to develop legislation that would prioritise the use of non-animal research methods in taxpayer-funded science”.

US residents can help advance the HEARTS Act by contacting their US Representative and asking that they become a cosponsor of the bill.  Take action here.