Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1448 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb1448
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1448
8	8	J1 5lr2984
9	9
10	10	By: Delegate Cullison
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Animal Testing and Research – Alternative Nonanimal Test Methods 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting certain research facilities in the State from using a 3
21	21	traditional animal test method if an alternative nonanimal test method has received 4
22	22	certain approval or the requirement to use a traditional animal test method is 5
23	23	waived; requiring certain research facilities to conduct testing using traditional 6
24	24	animal test methods in a certain manner; requiring certain research facilities to 7
25	25	annually submit a report to the Attorney General regarding the test methods used; 8
26	26	requiring the Attorney General to make the reports publicly available; requiring the 9
27	27	Attorney General to enforce this Act; and generally relating to the use of alternative 10
28	28	nonanimal test methods. 11
29	29
30	30	BY adding to 12
31	31	Article – Health – General 13
32	32	Section 24–23A–01 through 24–23A–05 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 23A. 14
33	33	Alternative Nonanimal Test Methods” 15
34	34	Annotated Code of Maryland 16
35	35	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 17
36	36
37	37	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
38	38	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 19
39	39
40	40	Article – Health – General 20
41	41
42	42	SUBTITLE 23A. ALTERNATIVE NONANIMAL TEST METHODS. 21
43	43
44	44	24–23A–01. 22
45	45
46	46	(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE T HE FOLLOWING WORDS H AVE THE MEANINGS 23
47	47	INDICATED. 24 2 HOUSE BILL 1448
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(B) (1) “ALTERNATIVE NONANIMAL TEST METHOD ” MEANS A TEST 1
52	52	METHOD THAT : 2
53	53
54	54	(I) DOES NOT USE A LIVE VERTEBRATE AN IMAL; AND 3
55	55
56	56	(II) PROVIDES INFORMATION OF EQUIVALENT OR BET TER 4
57	57	SCIENTIFIC QUALITY AND RELEVANC E COMPARED TO A TRAD ITIONAL ANIMAL TEST 5
58	58	METHOD. 6
59	59
60	60	(2) “ALTERNATIVE NONANIMAL TEST METHOD ” INCLUDES: 7
61	61
62	62	(I) COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOL OGY AND BIOINFORMATI CS; 8
63	63
64	64	(II) HIGH–THROUGHPUT SCREENING METHODS; 9
65	65
66	66	(III) TESTING OF CATEGORIES OF CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES ; 10
67	67
68	68	(IV) TIERED TESTING METHOD S; 11
69	69
70	70	(V) IN VITRO STUDIES; AND 12
71	71
72	72	(VI) MICROPHYSIOLOGICAL SY STEMS. 13
73	73
74	74	(C) “TRADITIONAL ANIMAL TE ST METHOD ” MEANS A PROCESS , 14
75	75	PROCEDURE , OR EXPERIMENT USING LIVE VERTEBRATE ANIM ALS TO: 15
76	76
77	77	(1) OBTAIN INFORMATION ON THE C HARACTERISTICS OF A PRODUCT, 16
78	78	INCLUDING: 17
79	79
80	80	(I) A CHEMICAL; 18
81	81
82	82	(II) AN INGREDIENT; 19
83	83
84	84	(III) A DRUG; 20
85	85
86	86	(IV) A VACCINE; OR 21
87	87
88	88	(V) A PRODUCT FORMULATION ; AND 22
89	89
90	90	(2) GENERATE INFORMATION REGARDING THE ABILIT Y OF THE 23
91	91	PRODUCT TO PRODUCE A SPECIFIC B IOLOGICAL EFFECT UND ER SPECIFIED 24
92	92	CONDITIONS. 25 HOUSE BILL 1448 3
93	93
94	94
95	95
96	96	24–23A–02. 1
97	97
98	98	THIS SUBTITLE APPLIES ONLY TO A RESEARCH F ACILITY THAT IS LOCA TED IN 2
99	99	THE STATE AND REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH 3
100	100	INSPECTION SERVICE FORM 7023, AS DEFINED IN § 24–2301 OF THIS TITLE. 4
101	101
102	102	24–23A–03. 5
103	103
104	104	(A) THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY WITH RESPECT TO: 6
105	105
106	106	(1) ANIMAL RESEARCH CONDU CTED FOR THE PURPOSE S OF 7
107	107	BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TO INVESTIGATE : 8
108	108
109	109	(I) THE BIOLOGICAL PROCES S; 9
110	110
111	111	(II) CAUSES OF DISEASE ; OR 10
112	112
113	113	(III) HOW PROCESSES IN LIVI NG ORGANISMS DEVELOP AND 11
114	114	FUNCTION; OR 12
115	115
116	116	(2) A TRADITIONAL ANIMAL T EST METHOD USED TO C OMPLY WITH: 13
117	117
118	118	(I) THE REQUIREMENTS OF A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY; OR 14
119	119
120	120	(II) A WRITTEN REQUEST FROM A FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY 15
121	121	WHEN THE AGENCY HAS EXPRESSLY CONCLUDED THAT A TRADITIONAL A NIMAL 16
122	122	TEST METHOD IS NEEDE D TO FULLY ASSESS TH E IMPACT ON THE HEAL TH OR SAFETY 17
123	123	OF CONSUMERS . 18
124	124
125	125	(B) A RESEARCH FACILITY MA Y NOT USE A TRADITIO NAL ANIMAL TEST 19
126	126	METHOD IF: 20
127	127
128	128	(1) AN ALTERNATIVE NONANI MAL TEST METHOD HAS BEEN 21
129	129	APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE F OR REGULATING 22
130	130	THE SPECIFIC PRODUCT OR ACTIVITY BEING TE STED; OR 23
131	131
132	132	(2) THE FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE F OR 24
133	133	REGULATING THE SPECI FIC PRODUCT OR ACTIV ITY BEING TESTED HAS MAD E 25
134	134	AVAILABLE OR GRANTED A WAIVER FROM USING A TRADITIONAL ANIMAL TEST 26
135	135	METHOD. 27
136	136	4 HOUSE BILL 1448
137	137
138	138
139	139	(C) IF ALLOWED TO USE A TRADITIONAL ANIMAL TEST METHOD , A 1
140	140	RESEARCH FACILITY SHALL: 2
141	141
142	142	(1) USE THE FEWEST NUMBER OF ANIMALS PO SSIBLE; AND 3
143	143
144	144	(2) REDUCE THE LEVEL OF PAIN, SUFFERING, AND STRESS OF THE 4
145	145	ANIMALS USED FOR TESTING . 5
146	146
147	147	24–23A–04. 6
148	148
149	149	(A) (1) ON OR BEFORE JANUARY 20 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2027, 7
150	150	EACH RESEARCH FACILIT Y SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 8
151	151	WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO THE TRADITIONAL ANIMAL T EST METHOD S AND 9
152	152	ALTERNATIVE NONANIMA L TEST METHOD S USED BY THE RESEARCH FACI LITY IN 10
153	153	THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G CALENDAR YEAR . 11
154	154
155	155	(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED UNDER PARAG RAPH (1) OF THIS 12
156	156	SUBSECTION SHALL INCLUDE : 13
157	157
158	158	(I) IF THE RESEARCH FA CILITY USED TRADITIO NAL ANIMAL 14
159	159	TEST METHODS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD : 15
160	160
161	161	1. A DESCRIPTION OF EACH TRADITIONAL ANIMAL T EST 16
162	162	METHOD USED AND THE REASON THE TEST METH OD WAS REQUIRED ; AND 17
163	163
164	164	2. THE NUMBER AND SPECIE S OF ANIMAL USED ; AND 18
165	165
166	166	(II) IF THE RESEARCH FACILITY US ED ALTERNATIVE 19
167	167	NONANIMAL TEST METHO DS DURING THE REPORT ING PERIOD: 20
168	168
169	169	1. THE TYPE S AND NUMBER OF ALTERN ATIVE 21
170	170	NONANIMAL TEST METHO DS USED; AND 22
171	171
172	172	2. THE NUMBER OF WAIVERS RECEIVED BY THE 23
173	173	RESEARCH FACILITY UN DER § 24–23A–03 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 24
174	174
175	175	(B) ON OR BEFORE APRIL 20 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2027, THE 25
176	176	ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL MAKE THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED UNDER 26
177	177	SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION PUBL ICLY AVAILABLE. 27
178	178
179	179	24–23A–05. 28
180	180
181	181	(A) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL SHALL ENFORCE THIS SUBTITLE. 29 HOUSE BILL 1448 5
182	182
183	183
184	184
185	185	(B) THE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAY PETITION THE CIRCUIT COURT TO: 1
186	186
187	187	(1) ISSUE AN ORDER RESTRA INING OR ENJOINING A VIOLATION OF 2
188	188	THIS SUBTITLE; AND 3
189	189
190	190	(2) GRANT ANY OTHER RELIE F THAT THE COURT DET ERMINES IS 4
191	191	NECESSARY. 5
192	192
193	193	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That th is Act shall take effect 6
194	194	January 1, 2026. 7