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Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to include cold-blooded species as animals, and for other purposes.
Summary
- Expands the definition of "animal" under the Animal Welfare Act to include cold-blooded species such as reptiles, amphibians, cephalopods, and fish.
- Applies Animal Welfare Act protections to cold-blooded animals used for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes or as pets.
- Maintains existing exclusions for farmed animals used for food, fiber, or agricultural research purposes.
- Clarifies that all dogs, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes, are covered under the Animal Welfare Act.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
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![Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]](https://media.civicgate.org/people/d/politicians/M001143.thumb.jpg)
Rep. McCollum, Betty (D-MN) [#4]
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Betty Mccollum’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- Employer not reported $92,596
- EO SOLUTIONS $26,400
- COLLABORATION.AI $19,800
- FILLMORE.AI $19,800
- HOLLAND & KNIGHT $18,600
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Betty Mccollum → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Apr 21, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture. · house
- Apr 21, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 21, 2025
Ms. McCollum introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To amend the Animal Welfare Act to include cold-blooded species as animals, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act”.
SEC. 2. INCLUDING REPTILES AND FISH AS ANIMALS UNDER ANIMAL WELFARE ACT.
Section 2(g) of the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2132(g)) is amended to read as follows:
“(g)(1) The term ‘animal’ means any live or dead warm-blooded animal (including a dog, cat, monkey (nonhuman primate mammal), guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or bird), cold-blooded animal (including a reptile, amphibian, cephalopod, or fish), or such other animal as the Secretary may determine is being used, or is intended for use, for research, testing, experimentation, or exhibition purposes, or as a pet.
“(2) Such term excludes—
“(A) birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research;
“(B) horses not used for research purposes; and
“(C) other farmed animals, such as—
“(i) livestock, poultry, or fish used or intended for use as food or fiber; or
“(ii) livestock, poultry, or fish used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber.
“(3) With respect to a dog, such term means all dogs, including those used for hunting, security, or breeding purposes.”. <all>
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