An Overview of Laws and Regulations in U.S. Society
Federal laws and regulations govern the use of animals in scientific inquiry.
Two of the most important laws governing the use of animals in research, testing and education are the Animal Welfare Act and the Health Research Extension Act. (There are many other regulations and policies that will not be discussed here.)
Animal Welfare Act (current, full text, ~21pp) The AWA was originally created to "protect the owners of dogs and cats from the theft of their pets." It has been amended many times (useful summaries here) and now governs not only animal dealers, but also research facilities and research on vertebrate animals. Enforcement of the AWA is now the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (1-2pg overview).
Health Research Extension Act (full text, ~2pp) The HREA applies specifically to animals used in research sponsored (= funded) by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and affects governmental agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health (ADAMH). The HHS Office for Protection from Research Risks (HHS OPRR) is the agency charged with administering the HREA, and monitors both "human subjects" research and animal research.
