By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
In the U.S., the State of the Union address gives the president an opportunity to speak to a joint session of Congress about the nation’s condition, sharing legislative and regulatory proposals and communicating and reinforcing priorities. In recent years, we’ve used this time to spell out our own priorities and to reflect upon the U.S. government’s performance on animal protection issues.
It’s my privilege to share our Humane Scorecard for the first session of the 119th Congress. The scorecard tracks key co-sponsorships, votes and other animal-friendly actions by federal lawmakers. It’s an accountability tool we use to cultivate greater awareness among legislators as well as incentives for their future commitment. Please look to see how your senators and congressional representative scored; the scorecard is something you can share with others who care about animals, too.
A decisive vote in Oregon marks a turning point in the campaign to end experiments on primates
Oregon Health and Science University and NIH will discuss avenues to make Oregon National Primate Research Center a sanctuary
STATEMENT: Momentum builds to retire Oregon Primate Research Center animals
Humane World for Animals and Humane World Action Fund say federal funding should support sanctuary care and a transition to non-animal science
STATEMENT: Congress takes a step forward and step backward on animal testing policies at NIH
Latest congressional appropriations package funds the government for the 2026 fiscal year
WASHINGTON (Feb. 3, 2026)—Humane World Action Fund, formerly called Humane Society Legislative Fund, issued the following statement on Congress passing a FY2026 funding package for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the National Institutes of Health, among other federal agencies.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
There’s some good news for animals in the funding packages for the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice that passed the Senate last week and were just signed into law.
These wins are the result of animal advocates—both us and our allies—who never wavered in the view that the protection of animals matters, and that it’s something that the American people want. Here are the animal welfare wins in the FY2026 funding packages:
Gray wolves and grizzly bears saved
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Today, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recommitted to a previously stated goal to end testing on dogs, rats, mice, rabbits and other mammals by 2035. This move has the potential to replace tests on tens of thousands of animals with non-animal methods that are better for both humans and animals.
