Title 42 › Chapter 6A— PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter III— NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES › Part A— National Institutes of Health › § 283m
The Secretary of Health and Human Services must set up and run a sanctuary system to care for chimpanzees that were used, bred, or bought for research by federal agencies and that the Secretary has decided are no longer needed for research. All federally owned surplus chimpanzees must go into the system. Private owners can transfer title to have their chimpanzees accepted, but the Secretary can charge a fee (with specific exceptions) or refuse if the system lacks space, money, staff, or a full medical and research history. Within 180 days after December 20, 2000, the Secretary must write rules for the sanctuary. The rules must cover things like no research (except limited noninvasive or veterinary-care studies with minimal harm and where the researcher has a clean Animal Welfare Act record), housing, behavioral care, compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, preventing breeding, keeping full health and research histories, monitoring for public-health risks and containment per CDC advice, no routine euthanasia except when best for the chimpanzee as decided with a veterinarian, and that chimpanzees stay in the system. The Secretary must consult the nonprofit board that operates the system. The Secretary will award a contract to a qualifying nonprofit to run the system and give subcontracts or grants to facilities that meet the standards. The nonprofit’s board may have up to 13 unpaid members from specified fields and the nonprofit must provide non-Federal startup and operating contributions of 10% and 25% respectively (one dollar per $9 of start-up Federal funds; one dollar per $3 of operating Federal funds). If no suitable nonprofit exists, the Secretary must make a grant to form one within 60 days after December 20, 2000. Funds are authorized from NIH to carry out the program and care for NIH chimpanzees: $12,400,000 for FY2014; $11,650,000 for FY2015; $10,900,000 for FY2016; $10,150,000 for FY2017; and $9,400,000 for FY2018. The Secretary may use some of these funds to give grants or contracts to other qualified facilities. The NIH Director must report to Congress within 180 days after November 27, 2013, and update that report every two years, on the care, costs, and research status of NIH chimpanzees.
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The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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42 U.S.C. § 283m
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60