HB3043, titled the Accountability in Foreign Animal Research Act, would bar the Secretary of Health and Human Services from directly or indirectly conducting or supporting biomedical research or experimentation involving vertebrate animals in facilities located in, or owned or controlled by entities located in, certain foreign countries. The bill specifically names the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, and also allows the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Defense, to designate additional foreign countries of concern.
The bill also requires HHS to report to specified congressional committees whenever it adds a country to the list of covered foreign countries. Those reports must explain the reasoning for the determination and be submitted within 60 days. The measure is framed as a restriction on the use of taxpayer dollars for animal experimentation abroad, rather than a broader ban on all foreign biomedical research.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend federal spending and research policy by prohibiting HHS from funding or conducting vertebrate animal research in the listed countries and in any additional country designated as a foreign country of concern. It would affect HHS grant, contract, cooperative agreement, and other funding mechanisms, and would impose a new reporting obligation to Congress when the covered-country list is expanded. The bill would primarily affect federal agencies, research institutions, and foreign entities receiving or performing HHS-supported biomedical research involving animals.
Sentiment
The available context shows no committee transcript, debate, or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition in the legislative record provided. Based on the bill text and title, the measure appears to be presented as a national-security and taxpayer-accountability proposal aimed at limiting U.S. support for animal research in adversarial countries. The absence of recorded discussion or votes means the overall sentiment cannot be measured beyond the bill’s introduction and referral.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are the scope of the foreign-country restrictions, the inclusion of Hong Kong with China, and the Secretary’s authority to add other countries of concern after consultation with State and Defense. Supporters are likely to emphasize preventing U.S. funds from benefiting adversarial governments and protecting taxpayer dollars, while critics may question whether the restrictions could disrupt international scientific collaboration, complicate biomedical research, or create ambiguity in determining which entities are owned or controlled by covered foreign countries. The reporting requirement and executive discretion to expand the list may also draw oversight concerns.
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)
Research Facilities and Testing Facilities That Use Animals - Prohibitions and Adoption Requirements (Animal Research Modernization and Best Practices Act of 2026)