Here is a glimpse into what happened at the tail end (ha!) of the 2018-2019 New Jersey Legislative Session.

Homes for Animal Heroes

The Homes for Animal Heroes bill, S 2826, made it over the final hurdle on the last day of this legislative session in New Jersey, passing 75-0 in the Assembly on January 13, 2020.  It had previously passed in the Senate so is now headed to the Governor’s desk.

The bill will require an institution of higher education, and research institutions that contract with colleges and universities to use cats and dogs for educational, research, or scientific purposes to provide such animals for adoption, when the cat or dog is no longer needed for educational, research, or scientific purposes, after determining that the health of the cat or dog renders it suitable for adoption.

While this is the practice of these research institutions in the State and much of the country, this law codifies this practice.

As reported in a press release published on Insider NJ,

‘New Jersey’s biomedical research community, including our nationally-renowned research universities and partners within the state’s life sciences companies, are pleased to see the Legislature recognize the importance of ensuring permanent homes for retired research animals – our animal heroes,’ said Tom Leach, executive director of the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research. ‘We thank Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle and the late Senator Anthony R. Bucco for their leadership in sponsoring this important legislation and working with all stakeholders to ensure we continue to find forever homes with the best interests of the animals in mind.’

Equine Stabling Tax Exempt

Another animal-related bill that made it through the legislative process, A1045 “clarifies the sales tax collection responsibilities of horse-boarding businesses in New Jersey by providing an exemption from tax for the lease or rental of certain stable stalls and charges for horse boarding and certain other related services.”

The bill provides that boarding, stabling, keeping, and feeding horses and other domestic equids are non-taxable services.

Proposed Bill on Animal Use in Cosmetic Testing

A bill just introduced on January 9, 2020, S4348 would prohibit the sale of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals.  Like similar bills passed in other states, this bill includes numerous exemptions, if:

(1)   The animal test is required by a federal or State regulatory authority and:

(a)   the ingredient that requires an animal test is in wide use and cannot be replaced by another ingredient,

(b)   a specific human health problem is associated with the ingredient and the need to conduct an animal test on the ingredient is justified and supported by a research protocol, and

(c)   there is no non-animal test that is accepted by the relevant federal or State regulatory authority as a means to gather the relevant data;

(2)   The animal test is conducted to comply with a requirement of a foreign regulatory authority, if no evidence derived from the test is relied upon to substantiate the safety of the cosmetic pursuant to federal or State regulations; or

(3)   The animal test is conducted on a product or ingredient subject to the requirements of chapter V of the federal “Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act,” 21 U.S.C. s.351 et seq.

[and]

to cosmetics that were sold in the State or tested on animals prior to January 1, 2020, even if the cosmetic is manufactured after that date.

Like the bills known as “Moose’s Law” and “Desmond’s Law” previously discussed, S4348 will likely be re-introduced in the 2020-2021 Legislative Session.