H.R. 5244: AFTER Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-09-14 · Animals · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-09-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

AFTER Act of 2021

Plain summary

Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

AFTER Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] · 115 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Nancy Mace (R-SC), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), Terri A. Sewell (D-AL), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Brian J. Mast (R-FL), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Judy Chu (D-CA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Jared Huffman (D-CA) and 55 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Boyle, Brendan F. [D-PA-2] reported raising $2.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr5244.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr5244 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117