Charleston Reporter

Congresswoman Nancy Mace introduces the Primates Act of 2024 to end painful NIH experiments on monkeys

Washington, D.C., September 17, 2024 – Congresswoman Nancy Mace has introduced the "Painful Research and Investigations on Monkeys Abused in Taxpayer-funded Experiments Stops (PRIMATES) Act" of 2024.

Each year, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) allocates tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to animal experiments that are often painful and ineffective. These practices confine hundreds of thousands of animals to laboratories. According to Humane Society International (HSI), 90% of basic research involving animals fails to lead to human treatments, yet the NIH continues these outdated practices. The PRIMATES Act aims to end this cruelty while ensuring scientific advancements do not come at the cost of suffering.

"The American people’s hard-earned money should not be spent on funding cruelty to animals," said Representative Nancy Mace. "We’ve sent letters to the NIH regarding their harmful tests on ‘Monkey Island.’ We will continue to put an end to this madness. It’s time for the NIH to evolve and prioritize humane, alternative research methods, respecting the lives of these intelligent creatures."

Key provisions of the PRIMATES Act include:

- Prohibition on Painful Research: The NIH will be banned from conducting or supporting research that causes significant pain or distress to nonhuman primates.

- No Transfers for Harmful Research: The legislation will prevent the NIH from transferring nonhuman primates to any laboratory for such research purposes.

- Annual Transparency Reports: The NIH will be required to publish an annual report detailing ongoing and prospective research projects involving nonhuman primates, along with initiatives to phase out their use and relocate them to sanctuaries where they can live in peace.

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