Course Home Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six
State and Local Laws and Regulations
STATE LEVEL
Massachusetts
Individual states may regulate the care and use of animals for research even further. Massachusetts, for example, has its own laws governing the care of research animals. In 1983, in a legislative act known as the “Pound Law,” Massachusetts banned the use of in-state pound animals for biomedical research, as well as the importation of laboratory animals from pounds outside the state.
Under 105 CMR 910.000, the Research Animal Regulations (RAR) that followed the Pound Law, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health licenses and inspects animal research facilities that house dogs or cats. Under the RAR, any research institution using dogs or cats in research or for the testing of drugs or medicines must apply for a license from the Commissioner of Public Health and must provide a statement of compliance with RAR.
At least four times a year, agents designated by the Commissioner – the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Rescue League of Boston – may visit and inspect without advance notice the animal research and care facilities of licensed institutions. The RAR also provide recordkeeping and identification requirements for laboratory dogs and cats in Massachusetts.
LOCAL LEVEL
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Some municipalities also have laws and regulations that establish more local control over animal research occurring in their jurisdictions. An example is the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which became the first city to regulate the care and use of laboratory animals within its boundaries when it passed Ordinance 1086 of the Cambridge Municipal Code (referred to as the “Cambridge Ordinance”) in 1990.
The Cambridge Ordinance follows the regulations set forth by the federal Animal Welfare Act, the U.S. Public Health Service Policy, and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The Ordinance applies to all vertebrate species, regardless of a laboratory’s funding source.
The Ordinance mandates the establishment of a Commissioner of Laboratory Animals, a licensed veterinarian not aligned with an anti-vivisection or biomedical research organization, who is appointed by the City Manager to oversee the care and use of laboratory animals in the city. In order to use laboratory animals in the city, a research institution must register with the Cambridge Commissioner. The Commissioner inspects all research laboratories in the city annually, and reviews Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocols and animal research procedures.
Other Funding Agencies
Governmental agencies other than the U.S. Public Health Services — e.g., the National Science Foundation — and many non-governmental funding agencies — e.g., the American Heart Association — may impose additional requirements on animal care and use. Since such additional requirements may vary, institutional procedures should be in place to ensure that these requirements are known and that they are met.
Association for the Accreditation and Assessment of Laboratory Animal Care – International
The Association for the Accreditation and Assessment of Laboratory Animal Care – International (AAALAC), founded in 1965, promotes uniform standards of animal care
and use in the U.S. and beyond. AAALAC provides voluntary peer review and awards accreditation of laboratory animal care facilities and programs which meet its rigid standards. AAALAC judges animal care by the standards set forth in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the Animal Welfare Act, and other documents. The Public Health Service (PHS) accepts AAALAC accreditation as the best means of proving compliance with PHS Policy requirements for animal care and use.
Institutions conducting animal research seek AAALAC accreditation voluntarily. A team of AAALAC site visitors conducts a rigorous evaluation of an institution’s existing animal facilities and animal care and use program before it can be accredited or before its existing accreditation can be renewed. Representatives of AAALAC perform triennial inspections to each accredited institution to ensure continuing compliance with standards. AAALAC provides the institution with an evaluation that contains both mandatory as well as suggested items that require improvement or correction.
The institution then has an opportunity to respond in writing regarding the correction of these deficiencies. After review of the institution’s response, AAALAC assigns the institution full, partial, deferred accreditation, or denies accreditation. The accreditation process is repeated every three years.
Although achieving and maintaining full AAALAC accreditation is a tremendous undertaking, the benefits of accreditation outweigh the costs. Many funding agencies, including NIH, expect institutions using research animals to be AAALAC accredited.
Other Guidelines
AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals
The AVMA Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals, formerly known as the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, was most recently republished in 2013. The AVMA Guidelines use the best scientific evidence to determine what methods of euthanasia are professionally acceptable. This document has been incorporated into both the Animal Welfare Act and the Public Health Service Policy as the single authoritative document determining how research animals may be euthanized.
Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching
The Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching (Ag Guide) is published by the Federation of Animal Sciences Societies. The Ag Guide addresses standards for agricultural animal husbandry, housing and veterinary care. It does not apply to agricultural animals used for biomedical research or teaching.
The standards in the Ag Guide are slightly different than those listed in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. For example, cage space requirements may differ slightly between the two documents.
Although this document is not regulatory, some institutions use its provisions and principles as the basis for its care and use programs involving animals used for production or agricultural research.
Wildlife
There are several references available for the use of fish, amphibians, and mammals in wildlife research. These documents are not regulatory documents, but are excellent references for the care and handling of these animals.
Institutional Policies
Many institutions conducting research with animals show their commitment to humane and responsible animal use by developing internal statements of policy with regard to the mission and scope of animal care and use at their facilities; the ethical underpinnings of their animal research program; and/or their commitment to compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. Such policies set the tone and the expectations for the institution’s animal care and use program and ensure that all employees are aware of and comply with legal, regulatory, contractual and ethical requirements.
Some Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees also have their own policies that incorporate and expand upon their institutional animal care and use policies.
Professional Society Policies/Statements/Codes of Ethics
Many scientific professional societies have developed their own organizational policies, statements and codes of ethics on the use of animals in science. These include, but are not limited to:
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)
American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM)
American Physiological Society (APS)
American Psychological Association (APA)
American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners (ASLAP)
American Society of Primatologists (ASP)
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)
Laboratory Animal Management Association (LAMA)
National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)
Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW)
Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
Society of Toxicology (SoT)