A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is moving to shut off the spigot of American taxpayer money flowing to foreign laboratories that mistreat research animals. On Tuesday, U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced the Worldwide Animal Testing Compliance and Harmonization (WATCH) Act, legislation aimed at forcing overseas facilities to adhere to American animal welfare standards or lose their federal funding.
The bill targets a discrepancy in current federal policy that allows the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund research abroad that may not meet the strict guidelines required of domestic laboratories.
Under the proposed law, foreign institutions receiving U.S. grants would face mandatory quarterly inspections to ensure they are providing humane environments.
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“Torturing animals in the name of science is both morally wrong and wholly unnecessary,” Rep. Steube said in a statement Tuesday. He argued that it is “indefensible” for the U.S. to subsidize cruelty abroad when domestic labs operate under clear, humane guidelines. “The WATCH Act [is] to bar the NIH from funding studies in foreign countries that fail to protect the welfare of innocent animals.”
Closing the Loophole
The legislation serves as the House companion to a Senate bill introduced by Senators Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). The proposal has attracted a notably diverse group of co-sponsors, ranging from Senator Rick Scott (R-Fla.) to Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), underscoring a rare alignment between parties on the issue of animal welfare and fiscal oversight.
Supporters of the bill argue that the current system lacks accountability. Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) emphasized that the bill is about standardizing integrity in research.
“American taxpayer dollars should never fund inhumane animal testing in unregulated laboratories around the world,” Lee said. “This bipartisan bill requires foreign laboratories to meet the same animal welfare standards American-based labs must follow.”
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Security and Oversight Concerns
While much of the rhetoric surrounds animal cruelty, proponents also cite national security and public health concerns. Senator Schmitt explicitly linked the need for tighter oversight to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite what Communist China may say, it has become clear that the COVID pandemic was the result of risky animal experiments by an unregulated lab in Wuhan that received U.S. taxpayer dollars,” Schmitt stated. He warned that outsourcing research to non-compliant labs puts “America, and the world, at risk.”
Senator Merkley focused on the “common-sense guardrails” the bill would establish, ensuring consistency in how NIH-funded studies are conducted, regardless of geographic location.
How the Bill Works
If enacted, the WATCH Act would amend Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act. The text of the bill mandates a strict inspection regime:
- Quarterly Inspections: Any foreign lab receiving federal funds must be inspected four times a year.
- Public Certification: Inspecting authorities would issue certificates of compliance, which must be made accessible to the public alongside other animal welfare assurances.
- Revocation of Funds: If a facility is found to be non-compliant and fails to take corrective action, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to suspend or revoke their grant or contract.
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