Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals - Prohibitions and Adoption Requirements (Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026)
Summary
SB423, the Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026, revises Maryland law governing research facilities and testing facilities that use live vertebrate animals. The bill creates definitions for alternative test methods, biomedical research, medical research, research facilities, testing facilities, and traditional animal test methods, and then imposes new limits on the use of dogs and cats in research and testing. It prohibits facilities from using dogs or cats that have undergone devocalization surgery for research or testing and bars facilities from performing devocalization surgery on dogs or cats. It also requires euthanasia of dogs and cats at such facilities to be performed by, or under the supervision of, a Maryland-licensed veterinarian using sodium pentobarbital consistent with AVMA guidelines.
Impact
The bill amends Title 15 of the Agriculture Article and expands it from a law focused on dogs or cats used in research to a broader framework covering research facilities and testing facilities that use animals. It extends adoption-related requirements to testing facilities, requiring reasonable efforts to place dogs and cats no longer needed for scientific research through private placement or approved rescue organizations. It also requires annual reporting to the Secretary beginning in 2028 on animal use, adoption outcomes, and the use of alternative and traditional animal test methods, with the Department publishing an anonymized annual report. Facilities that violate the title are subject to civil fines, and the act takes effect October 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text and voting history is strongly supportive of modernizing animal testing practices while preserving necessary research and safety testing. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a substantial margin, indicating broad bipartisan approval. The preamble emphasizes ethical treatment, scientific integrity, and the growing availability of alternatives to live-animal testing, which frames the measure as a modernization and animal-welfare bill rather than a wholesale ban on animal research.
Contention
The main policy tension is between reducing reliance on live-animal testing and preserving flexibility for public health, environmental safety, and federally required testing. The bill restricts traditional animal test methods when an approved alternative exists, but it preserves use of traditional methods when no alternative or waiver is available, when federal or state agencies determine an alternative is insufficient for health or safety, and for tests already underway around the effective date. Another point of distinction is that the bill excludes biomedical research from the alternative-method restriction, while still regulating testing facilities more directly, reflecting a compromise between animal welfare advocates, scientific researchers, and regulated industry interests.
Crossfiled
Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals - Prohibitions and Adoption Requirements (Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026)
Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals - Prohibitions and Adoption Requirements (Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026)