H.R. 1291 (119th)Bill Overview

HEARTS Act of 2025

Health|Animal protection and human-animal relationshipsExecutive agency funding and structure
Cosponsors
Support
Lean Democratic
Introduced
Feb 13, 2025
Discussions
Bill Text
Current stageCommittee

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Introduced
Committee
Floor
President
Law
Congressional Activities
01 · The brief
Plain-English summaryWhat this bill actually does

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prioritize nonanimal research methods in NIH-conducted or -supported proposals, require evaluation of nonanimal alternatives before approving animal research, and add review expertise and incentives. It creates a National Center for Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing within NIH to fund, train, coordinate, and collect data on nonanimal methods, and requires federally funded entities and agencies to report biennially the numbers of animals used (disaggregated by species) and submit reduction plans.

Why people may split

Libs emphasize animal welfare and human-relevant science benefits

Watch point

Technocratic, low partisan salience and animal‑welfare support make House passage relatively straightforward, though NIH stakeholders may push back.

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prioritize nonanimal research methods in NIH-conducted or -supported proposals, require evaluation of nonanimal alternatives before approving animal research, and add review expertise and incentives.

It creates a National Center for Alternatives to Animals in Research and Testing within NIH to fund, train, coordinate, and collect data on nonanimal methods, and requires federally funded entities and agencies to report biennially the numbers of animals used (disaggregated by species) and submit reduction plans.

The bill defines covered animals to include nonhuman vertebrates and cephalopods and directs public disclosure of animal-use data and standardized reporting processes.

Passage40/100

Modest chance: noncontroversial framing helps, but funding ambiguity, possible scientific community resistance, and need for appropriations reduce odds.

CredibilityPartial

How solid the drafting looks.

Contention65/100

Libs emphasize animal welfare and human-relevant science benefits

02 · What it does

Who stands to gain, and who may push back.

Likely benefits vs burdens50% / 50%
Federal agenciesFederal agencies

These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.

Likely helped
  • Potential benefitIncreases development and adoption of human‑relevant nonanimal research methods, potentially improving translational su…
  • Federal agenciesCreates federal funding and training mechanisms that could expand jobs in bioengineering and computational modeling.
  • Potential benefitImproves public transparency by requiring public reporting of animal numbers and reduction plans.
Likely burdened
  • Potential burdenAdds administrative and reporting burdens for institutions, increasing compliance costs and staff time.
  • Potential burdenCould delay research approvals due to additional review requirements and evaluations of nonanimal alternatives.
  • Federal agenciesMay increase federal oversight of research priorities, shifting funds toward alternatives away from animal‑model studie…
03 · Why people split

Why the argument around this bill splits.

Libs emphasize animal welfare and human-relevant science benefits
Progressive90%

Generally strongly supportive.

The bill aligns with animal welfare, civil-society transparency, and prioritizing human-relevant science while adding federal support for alternatives.

It may be seen as finishing a long-standing congressional intent to reduce animal use and bring NIH policy into the 21st-century research paradigm.

Leans supportive
Centrist70%

Generally favorable but pragmatic and cautious.

Supports transparency and accelerated alternatives, while wanting clear implementation plans, budget estimates, and safeguards to avoid delaying critical animal-based research.

Emphasizes measurable outcomes and periodic review.

Leans supportive
Conservative30%

Skeptical.

Supports animal welfare in principle but worries the bill increases federal micromanagement, regulatory hurdles, and costs, possibly hindering biomedical competitiveness.

Concerned about one-size-fits-all mandates and impacts on researcher discretion.

Likely resistant
04 · Can it pass?

The path through Congress.

Introduced

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Committee

Reached or meaningfully advanced

Floor

Still ahead

President

Still ahead

Law

Still ahead

Passage likelihood40/100

Modest chance: noncontroversial framing helps, but funding ambiguity, possible scientific community resistance, and need for appropriations reduce odds.

Scope and complexity
52%
Scopemoderate
52%
Complexitymedium
Why this could stall
  • No explicit appropriations or cost estimate included
  • Level of support or opposition from biomedical research community
05 · Recent votes

Recent votes on the bill.

No vote history yet

The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.

06 · Go deeper

Go deeper than the headline read.

Included on this page

Libs emphasize animal welfare and human-relevant science benefits

Modest chance: noncontroversial framing helps, but funding ambiguity, possible scientific community resistance, and need for appropriations…

Unlocked analysis

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