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SR 164

CONDOLENCES: Expresses sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Steve George.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Franklin Foil

Urges Kentucky colleges/universities to end wasteful animal testing and disclose 2024 animal use, projects, funding, and 3Rs plans within 90 days.

Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate and sent to the Secretary of State by the Secretary of the Senate on 6/5/2025.
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Bill Summary · SR 164

Summary — SR 164 (2025): Urging Kentucky colleges and universities to end use of animals in “wasteful government experiments”

Overview / Purpose

SR 164 is a nonbinding Senate resolution urging Kentucky colleges and universities that engage in animal research and testing to end the use of animals in “wasteful government experiments” and to increase transparency about animal use. The resolution cites concerns about animal welfare, the limited predictive value of some animal tests for human safety, and taxpayer-funded spending on animal research. It also references federal reforms such as the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 and the EPA commitment to phase out mammal testing by 2035 as contextual background.

Note: the legislative header provided to the analyst included an unrelated “Condolences” title; the operative text of SR 164 (current/final version) is the Kentucky resolution on animal research described here.

Key provisions

  • Urges Kentucky colleges and universities that participate in animal research/testing to end the use of animals in wasteful government experiments (Section 1).
  • Strongly encourages each participating institution to provide, within 90 days of adoption, specified information to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the Interim Joint Committee on Education (Section 2). Required information includes:
    1. Total number of animals held or used for research/testing in 2024, broken down by species.
    2. A list of active animal research/testing projects with project titles, stated purpose, and species and number of animals used by each project.
    3. Total funding spent on the projects identified (federal, state, private, other).
    4. Description of any programs to place adoptable animals after research use, including number of animals by species released for adoption in 2024.
    5. A detailed description of institutional efforts in the prior calendar year to refine, reduce, and replace animal use (the “3Rs”).
  • Directs the Clerk of the Senate to transmit copies of the resolution to presidents of several institutions: Morehead State University, Murray State University, Owensboro Community & Technical College, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (Section 3).

Specific data cited in the resolution

  • USDA records: at least 1,880 animals held/used by Kentucky colleges/universities in 2023, including 239 dogs and 112 cats.
  • NIH spending: up to $56 million on 120 projects using animals in Kentucky in 2024 (majority to colleges/universities).

Who is affected

  • Primary: Kentucky public colleges and universities that conduct animal research/testing and their researchers and animal care programs.
  • Secondary: animals involved, institutional research budgets (federal and private grant recipients), state policymakers and taxpayers (through requested reporting and potential future legislation).

Status & timeline

  • Introduced: February 24, 2025.
  • Read & adopted in the Senate: February 26, 2025 (and additional procedural actions in March–June 2025).
  • Enrolled and signed by the President of the Senate; transmitted to the Secretary of State on June 5, 2025.
  • The resolution asks institutions to submit the requested information within 90 days of adoption.

Potential impact

  • Creates a formal request for institution-level transparency about animal use and related funding in Kentucky higher education.
  • Puts institutional and public pressure on colleges/universities to document and potentially accelerate adoption of alternatives to animal testing (refinement, reduction, replacement).
  • As a resolution (nonbinding), it does not change statute or prohibit research but can inform and catalyze future legislative or administrative action — the text notes potential consideration of legislation in the 2026 Regular Session.

Related measure

  • Companion: SCR 204 (noted as related in the bill information).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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