​Transparency in Animal Testing (Missouri)

The Animal Legal Defense Fund​ supports ​this bill.​

​Sponsor:​ State Sen. Mike Moon (R-29)
​Introduction Date:​ January 11, 2024

The Missouri legislature is considering S.B. 1319, which would require universities that receive state funding to disclose their animal testing activities through annual reports on the schools’ websites. This bill would allow the public to be fully informed on the types of animal research activities that are occurring within Missouri’s publicly funded universities and encourage the universities to reduce the use of animals in research in favor of humane, effective alternatives.

Tens of millions of animals are used in laboratory experiments every year in the United States — and by most estimates, between 85 and 95% of these animals are not protected under the law. This figure is only an approximation because under current law, labs are not required to disclose data about the animals most often used in experimentation — rats, mice, birds, and fish. Even those animals with limited legal protections, including dogs, cats, and monkeys, are still subjected to severe cruelty.

​​Why is this law important? ​Several universities across the country, including in Missouri, have been exposed conducting highly cruel experiments on animals, including mice, dogs, and cats. Universities often defend these experiments in the name of medicine, despite there being evidence that animal testing rarely leads to intended results. The public should be fully informed of the cruel and unnecessary experiments that their taxes support.

​​For more information about animal protection legislation​ in Missouri ​and opportunities to take action for animals, visit aldf.org/​missouri.