Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 00:30:47 -0500 From: To: Subject: Rats, Mice and Birds Thank you for using Society for Neuroscience Mail System Message sent to the following recipients: Sen. Kennedy Sen. Kerry Rep. Capuano Message text follows: Matthew Belmonte [address] March 15, 2002 [recipient address was inserted here] Dear [recipient name was inserted here], As your constituent, as a biological scientist, and as the brother of a man who suffers from autism and who could be aided by medical advances based on animal research, I'm writing to ask you to contact the conferees on the Farm Bill and urge them to support the Helms amendment regarding the regulation of rats, mice and birds under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). If the Helms amendment is not enacted into law, medical researchers will be subjected to costly, duplicative, and burdensome new regulations that will do little or nothing to enhance the care and treatment of laboratory animals. The Helms amendment will prohibit USDA from proceeding with a proposal that would change the current regulatory treatment of rats, mice and birds, which has existed for 30 years. It is important to note that USDA is not taking this action on its own initiative. It has agreed to propose a new regulation as part of an out-of-court settlement with an animal rights advocacy organization. The vast majority, 90 percent or more, of rats, mice and birds used in medical research are covered by the NIH Office for Laboratory Animal Welfare guidelines or the Food and Drug Administration animal care requirements. Additionally, institutions that are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) operate under strict animal care guidelines. Changing the current policy by subjecting these species to USDA regulations will greatly increase the regulatory burden on researchers and increase the cost of biomedical research. It is estimated that the additional recordkeeping, reporting and red tape could cost $80 to $280 million per year. This burden would not improve animal welfare: instead, it would shift staff time from animal care to paperwork. Again, I urge you to support the Helms amendment to the Farm Bill. I look forward to hearing your views on this important issue. Sincerely, Matthew Belmonte