A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 7 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Beagle Liberation Act of 2026. It requires certain research facilities that receive federal funding to make reasonable efforts to transfer retired research dogs and cats to qualified animal adoption organizations. The bill allows these facilities to euthanize an animal only if a licensed veterinarian certifies specific conditions, such as the animal not being medically suitable for transfer. It also directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue necessary regulations within one year.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Section 3(a)(1): Facilities receiving federal funding must make reasonable efforts to transfer retired companion animals to qualified adoption organizations, which benefits the public by giving healthy and suitable dogs and cats a chance at adoption in permanent homes.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 3(a)(2): Facilities are permitted to euthanize retired companion animals if a licensed veterinarian certifies that a transfer is medically unsuitable, presents a safety risk, or the animal cannot adapt to a home environment, which might burden individuals who wish to see every retired research animal saved regardless of veterinary assessments.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
No significant interests or groups are affected by this bill.
- 11/12/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/5/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/26/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/24/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
James BairdRepublican · Indiana
Steve CohenDemocrat · Tennessee
Troy CarterDemocrat · Louisiana
Randy FineRepublican · Florida
Nancy MaceRepublican · South Carolina
Nicole MalliotakisRepublican · New York
Brian MastRepublican · Florida