Pennsylvania has taken an important step toward protecting animals used in laboratories. On October 22, 2026, Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill 381, known as the Beagle Bill, into law. The bipartisan legislation creates new protections for dogs and cats used in research, increases transparency around animal testing facilities, and restricts the sale of certain cosmetics tested on animals.
For the animals who spend their lives in laboratories, these changes represent meaningful progress. But the fight to end animal suffering in research is far from over.
What Is the Beagle Bill?
The Beagle Bill introduces several important changes to Pennsylvania law, addressing what happens to animals after research, how the public can access information about testing facilities, and the use of public funds for certain experiments.
Here are four key provisions of the new law:
1. Giving Research Dogs and Cats a Chance at Adoption
One of the bill’s most significant provisions creates an opportunity for dogs and cats used in research to be adopted after their experiments end. Rather than automatically facing an uncertain future when their time in a laboratory is over, eligible animals will have a pathway to life outside the research facility.
For dogs who have spent their lives in laboratory kennels, the opportunity to experience comfort, companionship, and a loving home can be transformative.
2. Restricting the Sale of Animal-Tested Cosmetics
The Beagle Bill also prohibits the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals, subject to the law’s definitions and exceptions. This represents another step toward reducing the use of animals in product safety testing and encouraging the adoption of alternative methods.
Scientific advances have created new opportunities to evaluate the safety of products without relying on animal experiments. Methods such as human-cell-based testing, 3D tissue models, organ-on-a-chip technology, and computational approaches can provide researchers with additional ways to study biological responses.
3. Increasing Transparency Around Animal Testing
The law requires animal testing facilities to prominently provide a link to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s public Animal Care search tool on their websites. The tool allows members of the public to access available inspection reports, annual reports, and enforcement information.
Greater access to these records can help communities better understand what happens inside research facilities and hold institutions accountable to applicable animal welfare requirements.
4. Establishing Conditions for Certain Publicly Funded Experiments
The legislation also restricts the use of Pennsylvania state funds for certain dog and cat experiments unless specified federal research oversight requirements are met. These include review and approval of research protocols by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and oversight by an attending veterinarian.
These requirements do not prohibit all animal experimentation, but they establish additional conditions for certain research receiving public funding.
Why Are These Protections Needed?
The scale of animal testing in the United States remains significant. According to information cited by Pennsylvania’s Animal Protection Caucus, U.S. laboratories reported using more than 40,000 dogs and 10,000 cats in their facilities in 2024. In Pennsylvania alone, 12 facilities reported using more than 3,000 dogs and cats in experiments.
Behind these numbers are individual animals whose lives are shaped by the research industry. Many spend extended periods in controlled laboratory environments, with little opportunity to experience the everyday comforts that companion animals enjoy.
Beagles are frequently associated with laboratory research, making the bill’s name especially recognizable. However, the legislation extends its protections to both dogs and cats used in research.
The Beagle Bill is an important acknowledgment that the welfare of these animals deserves public attention, greater transparency, and meaningful safeguards.
What Does This Mean for Marshall BioResources?
For those concerned about Marshall BioResources (MBR), a company involved in breeding animals for research, the Beagle Bill is a relevant development, but it is important to understand what the law does and does not accomplish.
The law creates an adoption pathway for eligible research dogs and cats after experiments end. However, it does not establish a blanket prohibition on breeding dogs for laboratory use, nor does it specifically prohibit MBR from breeding and supplying dogs to research facilities.
That distinction matters. Helping animals find homes after research is over can make a difference in their individual lives, but it does not address every concern about breeding animals for experiments in the first place.
At Honey Paws, we believe that protecting breeding dogs requires continued attention to the entire system: where animals come from, the conditions in which they are bred and housed, how they are transported, and what happens to them throughout their lives.
We also believe that scientific progress should include serious investment in modern, non-animal research methods that can reduce reliance on animal experiments while advancing human health and safety.
A Step Forward and Work Still to Do
The Beagle Bill passed both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature unanimously before being signed into law. It is scheduled to take effect on April 20, 2027.
This achievement demonstrates that animal protection can be an area of bipartisan cooperation. It also shows how sustained advocacy, legislative engagement, and public awareness can help translate concern for animals into changes in law.
But progress should not be mistaken for the finish line. Research animals still need stronger protections, greater transparency, and continued investment in alternatives to animal testing.
Here’s how you can help:
- Contact your Pennsylvania state legislators. Ask what additional protections they support for dogs bred for laboratory research and what steps they would take to reduce animal testing.
- Support modern research alternatives. Encourage investment in human-relevant technologies, including organ-on-a-chip systems, 3D tissue models, and computational research tools.
- Keep the conversation going. Share information about the Beagle Bill and the ongoing challenges facing animals used in research.
- Stay informed about Marshall BioResources. Continue asking questions about the breeding, transport, and use of dogs supplied to laboratories.
At Honey Paws, we will continue advocating for breeding dogs, supporting animal welfare initiatives, and pushing for a future in which scientific advancement does not depend on animal suffering.
The Beagle Bill is a meaningful step forward. Now, we must keep building on that progress until every animal receives the protection and consideration they deserve.
Sources
- Pennsylvania General Assembly. “Senate Bill 381 — Beagle Bill.” Official bill text, legislative history, and voting records. https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/SB0381
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Animal Protection Caucus. “Beagle Bill Signed into Law.” Overview of the legislation, its animal protection provisions, and reported laboratory animal statistics. https://www.pahouse.com/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=145844
- Humane World for Animals. “Governor Shapiro Signs Pennsylvania Beagle Bill, Advancing Animal Testing Protections.” Overview of the law’s adoption provisions, cosmetics restrictions, and implementation. https://www.humaneworld.org/us/en/news/governor-shapiro-signs-pennsylvania-beagle-bill-animal-testing-protections
