Last week, Republican U.S Senator, Martha McSally, co-sponsored a bipartisan bill which is aimed at protecting the life of animals in federal research laboratories across the country.

Introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and co-sponsored by others like Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., as the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experimentation and Research (AFTER) Act, the bill aims to encourage the adoption of retired animals that will no longer be needed for any form of research in federal laboratories.

The bill is also aimed at amending the Animal Welfare Act and it would create an avenue for federal agencies to establish adoption policies for these animals that will no longer be needed in the laboratories.

The bill further states that animals that are found by veterinary doctors to be mentally and physically healthy will be placed in animal sanctuaries, animal shelters or in the hands of individuals for relocation.

It was discovered that last year alone had about 50,000 animals including dogs, cats and rabbits being held in federal laboratories, most of which will be killed off. Several animals’ rights groups, such as The White Coat Waste Project have supported the bill.