*HB1458.1*
January 30, 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 1458
_____
DIGEST OF HB 1458 (Updated January 30, 2025 8:43 am - DI 140)
Citations Affected: IC 15-20.
Synopsis: Adoption of research animals. Requires research facilities
to offer for adoption dogs or cats no longer required for research
purposes.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Hall, Baird, Pierce K, Miller K
January 21, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural
Development.
January 30, 2025, reported — Do Pass.
HB 1458—LS 7719/DI 150 January 30, 2025
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
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HOUSE BILL No. 1458
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
agriculture and animals.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 15-20-5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
2 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
3 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 5. Retired Animal Adoption
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "animal care facility" has the
6 meaning set forth in IC 6-9-39-1.
7 Sec. 2. (a) As used in this chapter, "research facility" means a
8 privately or government owned, leased, or operated:
9 (1) partnership;
10 (2) corporation;
11 (3) association;
12 (4) school;
13 (5) institution; or
14 (6) organization;
15 located in Indiana that uses animals for experimentation or
16 research or that tests chemical substances, ingredients, drugs,
17 medical devices, vaccines, products, or product formulations on
HB 1458—LS 7719/DI 150 2
1 animals.
2 (b) The term includes a facility that carries out biomedical
3 research or educational research.
4 (c) The term does not include:
5 (1) a partnership;
6 (2) a corporation;
7 (3) an association;
8 (4) a school;
9 (5) an institution; or
10 (6) an organization;
11 that primarily provides veterinary services to an animal.
12 Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "retired animal" means a dog or
13 cat that:
14 (1) is confined at a research facility;
15 (2) has previously been used for research; and
16 (3) is no longer required for research purposes.
17 Sec. 4. A research facility shall establish an adoption program
18 for retired animals confined at the research facility.
19 Sec. 5. A research facility shall offer a retired animal for
20 adoption to an animal care facility, unless euthanizing the dog or
21 cat is required for health or safety reasons.
22 Sec. 6. A research facility may enter into a collaborative
23 agreement with one (1) or more animal care facilities for the
24 purpose of carrying out the provisions of section 5 of this chapter.
25 Sec. 7. Once a retired animal is eligible for adoption, the
26 research facility shall do one (1) of the following:
27 (1) Offer to transfer ownership and custody of the retired
28 animal to an animal care facility to facilitate the transfer of
29 ownership and custody of the retired animal to a person for
30 placement into the person's permanent home.
31 (2) Offer to transfer ownership and custody of the retired
32 animal to a person for private placement in the person's
33 permanent home according to an arrangement agreed to by
34 the research facility and the person adopting the retired
35 animal.
HB 1458—LS 7719/DI 150 3
COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Speaker: Your Committee on Agriculture and Rural
Development, to which was referred House Bill 1458, has had the same
under consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the
House with the recommendation that said bill do pass.
(Reference is to HB 1458 as introduced.)
AYLESWORTH
Committee Vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0
HB 1458—LS 7719/DI 150