[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[House]
[Page 36281]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        CHIMP HAVEN IS HOME ACT

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the Committee on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further 
consideration of the Senate bill (S. 1916) to amend the Public Health 
Service Act to modify the program for the sanctuary system for surplus 
chimpanzees by terminating the authority for the removal of chimpanzees 
from the system for research purposes, and ask for its immediate 
consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                S. 1916

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Chimp Haven is Home Act''.

     SEC. 2. SANCTUARY SYSTEM FOR SURPLUS CHIMPANZEES; TERMINATION 
                   OF AUTHORITY FOR REMOVAL FROM SYSTEM FOR 
                   RESEARCH PURPOSES.

       (a) In General.--The first section 481C of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287a-3a) (added by section 2 of 
     Public Law 106-551) is amended in subsection (d)--
       (1) in paragraph (2), in subparagraph (J), by striking ``If 
     any chimpanzee is removed'' and all that follows; and
       (2) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) by striking clause (ii); and
       (ii) by striking ``except as provided'' in the matter 
     preceding clause (i) and all that follows through 
     ``behavioral studies'' and inserting the following: ``except 
     that the chimpanzee may be used for noninvasive behavioral 
     studies'';
       (B) by striking subparagraph (B);
       (C) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B); 
     and
       (D) in subparagraph (B) (as so redesignated), by striking 
     ``under subparagraphs (A) and (B)'' and inserting ``under 
     subparagraph (A)''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Part E of title IV of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 287 et seq.) is amended by 
     redesignating the second section 481C (added by section 
     204(a) of Public Law 106-505) as section 481D.

  Mr. McCRERY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1916, the 
Chimp Haven is Home Act. S. 1916 is companion legislation to a bill I 
introduced with Congressman Melancon, H.R. 3295. In 2000, President 
Clinton signed into law the ``Chimpanzee Health Improvement, 
Maintenance and Protection Act''--otherwise known as the CHIMP Act. The 
CHIMP Act provided for the establishment and operation of a system to 
provide lifetime care to chimpanzees that were used, or were bred or 
purchased for use, in research conducted or supported by the Federal 
Government AND who are no longer needed for such research. The system 
envisioned by the CHIMP Act is now a reality in Keithville, Louisiana. 
It is called Chimp Haven.
  Chimp Haven is now home to 123 chimpanzees. As a relatively new 
organization, Chimp Haven faces the challenge of raising money from the 
private sector. This challenge has been heightened due to concerns that 
the CHIMP Act theoretically permits chimpanzees to be removed from 
Chimp Haven and used for medical research. Private financial support is 
important for Chimp Haven because the CHIMP Act requires the 501(c)(3) 
to obtain significant matching funds for its operating and construction 
costs.
  This legislation removes the ``return to medical research clause'' 
from the law and will give everyone involved with Chimp Haven peace of 
mind because the chimpanzees will be able to grow old peacefully in 
their new home and they cannot be removed for research purposes. The 
legislation will not adversely affect human health research, as these 
chimpanzees were deemed unfit for further experimentation. The resident 
chimpanzees at Chimp Haven are currently able to be studied in a non-
invasive manner and S. 1916 will not change that ability.
  The chimpanzees at Chimp Haven have spent their lives in research 
laboratories helping to improve the lives of all Americans. Many of our 
discoveries in space and medicine are due to chimpanzees. I am proud to 
help modify the existing law to ensure chimpanzees at Chimp Haven will 
spend their final years happily.
  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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