Bill · S. 4172· Senate(119-S-4172)
AFTER Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 3/24/2026
- Last activity
- 3/24/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1581-1582)
- Sponsored by
- Susan Collins
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 3
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "AFTER Act of 2026," seeks to amend the Animal Welfare Act. It focuses on changing how animals used in Federal research are handled once they are no longer needed. The legislation requires Federal agencies and departments to create regulations for the retirement of these animals. These regulations would facilitate placing animals into homes, shelters, or sanctuaries. Specifically, nonhuman primates could be placed in animal sanctuaries. The bill aims to encourage the adoption of animals that are determined to be suitable for retirement.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Facilitation of Animal Adoption: The bill requires Federal agencies to create regulations that encourage the adoption of animals by individuals who want them as pets (Section 2(c)(1)(A)(i)). This allows people to bring animals into their homes.
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Support for Nonprofit Organizations: The legislation directs agencies to collaborate with appropriate nonprofit organizations to carry out the placement of retired animals (Section 2(c)(1)(A)(ii)). This provides a framework for rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and shelters to take in these animals.
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Creation of Permanent Refuges: By defining animal sanctuaries as places that provide care for the lifetime of the animal, the bill allows for the establishment of permanent homes for certain animals (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(i)).
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Protection of Chimpanzee Placement: The bill ensures that the placement of chimpanzees used in research is not prevented or impeded from entering the sanctuary system established under the Public Health Service Act (Section 2(d)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Exclusion of Certain Species: While the bill covers many animals, it explicitly excludes rats of the genus Rattus and mice of the genus Mus from the definition of a "covered animal" (Section 2(a)(4)(B)). This means these specific animals would not receive the retirement protections outlined in this act.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
No significant interests or groups are affected by this bill.
- 7/28/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1581-1582)
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Gary PetersDemocrat · Michigan