CARGO Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 1802
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-05-19: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-10T15:41:00Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas Act of 2025 (CARGO Act) aims to ensure better oversight of animal welfare in research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It addresses concerns about mistreatment of animals in foreign research projects by prohibiting NIH from providing financial support for such activities conducted outside the United States.
Key Provisions
- Prohibition on Funding Foreign Animal Research: The NIH Director is barred from awarding grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or technical assistance for any research activity or program involving live animals unless the work takes place in the United States.
- Definition of "United States": For this purpose, the term includes all U.S. states, territories (like Puerto Rico), and possessions (like Guam).
- Congressional Findings: The bill highlights that between fiscal years 2011 and 2021, NIH spent about $2.2 billion on foreign animal research; foreign sites lack NIH inspections and rely on self-reported data, increasing risks of inaccurate information and animal mistreatment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 495 of the Public Health Service Act (a key law governing NIH operations and research protections) by adding a new subsection (f).
- This introduces a strict geographic restriction on NIH funding for animal research, which previously allowed support for such projects abroad without this limitation. No exceptions are provided in the bill for specific countries or circumstances.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: NIH would need to revise its grant review and awarding processes to enforce the U.S.-only requirement, potentially reducing administrative burdens related to foreign oversight but increasing scrutiny on domestic applications.
- On Citizens: U.S. taxpayers, who fund NIH, may see redirected resources toward domestic research, potentially improving animal welfare standards in funded projects; however, it could slow scientific progress if foreign expertise or facilities are unavailable domestically.
- On International Relations: Limits U.S. funding for global collaborations, which might strain partnerships with foreign researchers and institutions, particularly in countries with established animal research programs.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- NIH and U.S. Researchers: Gain priority for funding but must ensure all animal research complies with domestic standards.
- Foreign Research Organizations: Lose access to NIH support for animal studies, affecting institutions that previously received about $2.2 billion in such funding over a decade.
- Animal Welfare Advocates: Benefit from reduced risks of mistreatment due to stronger U.S. oversight (e.g., mandatory inspections under U.S. law).
- Scientific Community and Taxpayers: Face potential disruptions in international research collaborations, with funds shifting back to U.S.-based projects.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces federal control over how public funds are spent on research ethics, aligning with existing U.S. laws on animal welfare (like those requiring institutional animal care committees). It does not override other NIH authorities but adds a targeted restriction.
- Constitutional: Appears consistent with Congress's power to regulate federal spending (under the Spending Clause of the Constitution), as it conditions funding on location without infringing on free speech or due process.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (by Senators Scott and Booker) signals broad support for animal protection, but it could spark debates on "America First" science policy versus global health cooperation, especially amid concerns over research transparency post-pandemic. No enforcement mechanisms or penalties are specified beyond the funding ban, leaving implementation details to NIH rulemaking.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA], Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Recent Actions
- 2025-05-19: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-05-19: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas Act of 2025 — issued 2025-05-19 — PDF (3 pages)