Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the Beagle Bill into law on Oct. 22, giving Pennsylvania research labs 30 days to offer healthy dogs and cats for adoption after experiments end. Chester County State Sen. Carolyn Comitta co-sponsored the measure.

The vote was unanimous. Both the House and Senate passed Senate Bill 381 during the final days of the 2025-26 legislative session, and the law is now Act 92 of 2026.

Comitta, a Democrat, introduced the bill with Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Franklin County Republican. The bipartisan pair wrote the measure after thousands of beagles were rescued from Envigo, a Virginia breeding facility that sold dogs to laboratories.

"It's a good day for dogs, cats, and the people who love them in Pennsylvania, and there are a lot of us," Comitta said in a statement after the Senate vote. She cited polling showing 80 percent of Pennsylvanians supported the bill, though the survey's methodology was not detailed in her release.

State Rep. Melissa Shusterman, a Chester County Democrat who co-chairs the Pennsylvania Animal Protection Caucus, said the caucus had spent years pushing the legislation. Shusterman called the signing "a tremendous step forward" for animal welfare in the state, according to a PA House press release.

Under the law, research facilities must offer eligible dogs and cats for adoption for at least 30 days after experiments conclude, providing an alternative to euthanasia, Tri-State Alert reported. Labs must also display a link to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) public inspection database on their websites.

The measure adds whistleblower protections for people who report animal cruelty at research facilities. State funding can be suspended for projects that fail to meet federal oversight requirements, including review by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Pennsylvania becomes the 13th state to prohibit the sale of animal-tested cosmetics and the 18th to require adoption opportunities for research animals, according to Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States.

According to USDA figures cited by lawmakers, more than 40,000 dogs and 10,000 cats were used in research facilities nationwide in 2024. Twelve Pennsylvania facilities reported using more than 3,000 dogs and cats in experiments.

The cosmetics testing ban takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. The broader law goes into effect April 20, 2027.