West Chester, Pa (October 23, 2026) – This week Governor Shapiro signed into law Senate Bill 381, bipartisan legislation that improves animal cruelty protections for all dogs and cats in the Commonwealth.
Affectionately known as the “Beagle Bill,” the milestone legislation calls for ending the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals, and ensuring healthy pets have a chance for adoption after the experiments are over. It also increases transparency in animal experiments and limits when taxpayer dollars can be used in testing.
The bill, introduced by State Senators Doug Mastriano and Carolyn Comitta, unanimously passed the Senate on Tuesday. It was inspired by the rescue of thousands of Beagles from Envigo, a Virginia facility that bred them to be sold to laboratories for animal experimentation.
“It’s a good day for dogs, cats, and the people who love them in Pennsylvania, and there are a lot of us. Polling shows that 80 percent of Pennsylvanians support this bill and they made their voices heard in the halls of Harrisburg,” Comitta said. “Animals bring us together, how we treat them reflects our humanity, and the passage of the Beagle Bill reminds us that we have far more in common than what divides us.”
Comitta also thanked all those who helped get the bill across the finish line, especially Humane World for Animals, Humane Pa, and animal shelters, rescues, and SPCAs across the state.
The bill passed on one of the final days of the 2025-26 legislative session.
It was signed into law as Act 92 of 2026 and takes effect in 180 days.
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