The AFTER Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for review. No further actions are scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
Senate
House
President
Law
Could go either way
This bill has support from both parties, which helps its chances. However, most bills introduced in the Senate never make it to a final vote.
How we got here
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
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Reintroduced
Reintroduced from S. 707 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
The bill requires federal agencies to create rules for retiring animals used in government labs. Instead of being put down, healthy animals could be adopted by families or moved to animal sanctuaries.
Before an animal can be retired, a licensed veterinarian must check it. The vet must decide if the animal is physically and mentally healthy enough to live outside of a laboratory setting.
This policy covers many animals but does not include laboratory rats or mice. For monkeys and other primates, the bill requires that they be sent to specialized animal sanctuaries rather than private homes.
Federal agencies would be encouraged to work with nonprofit rescue groups and shelters across the country. This helps find the best possible homes for the animals, even if those homes are far away from the lab.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
2 milestones2 actions
Mar 24, 2026Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1581-1582)
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Mar 24, 2026
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
AFTER Act of 2026
Bill NumberS 4172
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1581-1582)
