TRANS MICE Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4512
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-17: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-22T08:07:52Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "Transgender Research on Animals Now Stops and Money for Ideological Cruelty Eliminated Act" (TRANS MICE Act) aims to ban the use of federal funds for specific types of animal research. It targets studies that involve altering an animal's body to mismatch its biological sex, framing such research as unnecessary or ideologically driven cruelty.
Key Provisions
- Funding Prohibition: No federal money can be used to conduct, support, or fund (directly or indirectly) "covered research" on "qualified animals," regardless of other laws.
- Definitions:
- Covered Research: Any study examining the effects of drugs, hormones, surgery, or other interventions that change an animal's body to no longer align with its biological sex. This includes actions that disrupt normal body development, block natural body functions, or alter physical appearance.
- Excepted Animal: Non-human vertebrates (animals with backbones) that naturally change sex during their lifetime or have both male and female reproductive organs (e.g., certain fish or frogs).
- Qualified Animal: Any non-human vertebrate species except those that are "excepted animals." This covers mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians that do not naturally change sex or possess dual reproductive organs.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- This bill introduces a blanket prohibition on federal funding for the defined research, overriding any conflicting laws or regulations. Previously, federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could fund animal studies on topics such as hormone effects or surgical interventions without such restrictions, as long as they met ethical and scientific standards (e.g., under the Animal Welfare Act).
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Federal bodies responsible for research funding, such as the NIH, National Science Foundation (NSF), or Department of Agriculture, would need to review and halt support for affected projects. This could lead to administrative burdens in auditing grants and reallocating funds to other research areas.
- Citizens and Researchers: Scientists studying developmental biology, endocrinology (hormone systems), or medical treatments might face funding cuts, potentially slowing advancements in fields like reproductive health or veterinary medicine. Animal welfare advocates could see mixed effects—reduced funding for certain experiments but no broader protections for animals.
- International Relations: U.S.-led collaborations on global research (e.g., with universities or organizations abroad) could be disrupted if projects involve prohibited studies, possibly straining partnerships in biomedical research.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Researchers and Scientific Community: Universities, labs, and scientists conducting animal-based studies on sex-related biology or interventions.
- Federal Funding Agencies: Entities like NIH and NSF that distribute research grants.
- Animal Advocacy Groups: Organizations focused on ethical treatment of animals, which might support or oppose the bill depending on their views on the targeted research.
- Lawmakers and Policymakers: Members of Congress, particularly those on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where the bill was referred.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill's broad definitions could lead to challenges in enforcement, such as determining what qualifies as "covered research" in complex scientific contexts. It might conflict with existing federal mandates for animal research ethics but explicitly overrides them.
- Constitutional: Potential free speech or academic freedom concerns could arise if courts view the funding ban as restricting scientific inquiry, though it only affects government funds, not private research (similar to past Supreme Court rulings on conditional funding, like in Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International).
- Political: The bill's title and focus suggest a partisan angle, linking animal research to debates on transgender issues in humans, which could polarize discussions on science funding and animal rights without addressing broader ethical guidelines for all animal experiments.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (6)
Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-9], Rep. Gill, Brandon [R-TX-26], Rep. Boebert, Lauren [R-CO-4], Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN-2], Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10], Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-UT-1]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-17: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Transgender Research on Animals Now Stops and Money for Ideological Cruelty Eliminated Act — issued 2025-07-17 — PDF (2 pages)