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A bill that would require animal testing facilities to submit reports to the state is progressing through the General Assembly.
Sen. Jennifer Boysko, who introduced the measure, said modern technology is allowing a shift toward other research methods.
“My understanding is that some of the newer technologies using computer modeling and cell samples are actually less expensive and more accurate,” said Boysko, D-Fairfax. “So, I’m working to start record keeping (about animal testing) in Virginia so we have some data for the future to compare.”
The bill, co-sponsored by Franklin Republican Bill Stanley, would direct animal testing facilities, including universities, private entities or state agencies, to submit annual reports to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The reports would include information about the number and type of animals used and the costs associated with the experiments.
The original legislation also would have created whistleblower protections for workers at the facilities who reported potential animal welfare violations. That provision, however, has been nixed.
The bill has passed the Senate and received nearly unanimous support from a House committee on Wednesday.
Boysko said she expects it will end up in a conference committee with a measure from Marshall Republican Michael Webert that would require animal testing facilities to make certain inspection reports publicly available.
A conference committee is a panel of House and Senate members created to meld similar legislation and reconcile any differences.
Daphna Nachminovitch, senior vice president of PETA’s cruelty investigations department in Norfolk, said the organization backs the bill and appreciates its support from both sides of the aisle.
“Virginia has been a leader in animal welfare,” she said. “I think we all saw last year that animal protection in our state is a bipartisan issue.”
Animal advocates across the nation celebrated after Virginia took action last year to strengthen protections for animals being used or bred for experiments.
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The General Assembly passed several bills, including one that prohibited entities that received certain citations for violating the federal Animal Welfare Act from selling cats or dogs for experiments. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the bills into law.
The push for reform came due to concerns regarding Envigo, a company that breeds dogs to sell as research animals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave one of its centers in Cumberland County dozens of citations for the mistreatment of beagles and overall poor facility conditions.
Boysko said she believes the situation at Envigo opened many legislators’ eyes to the need for oversight and transparency.
“When we started talking about exactly what was happening with the dogs, with visuals and descriptions — most people didn’t have the stomach to continue looking away,” she said.
Boysko added that she’s always been passionate about animal welfare.
“I think that animals are sentient beings who have feelings and deserve to be treated with kindness and decency,” she said. “We have them in our homes and many of us count them as family members, and when we know better we can do better.”
Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com