NIH OLAW Proposes Expanding Annual Reporting Requirements for Live Animals

By: Galen Cobb
Thursday, November 12, 2026
On September 21, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) released a Request for Information (RFI) on the Feasibility of Annual Reporting of Live Vertebrate Animal Numbers (NOT-OD-27-001). The RFI seeks input on a proposal to require yearly reporting of the number of live vertebrate animals subject to the Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Under the proposal, numbers would be reported using the pain and distress categories defined in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Welfare Act (AWA) Regulations and publicly shared by NIH. As PHS Policy covers all live vertebrate animals, this proposal would expand reporting requirements for researchers to include species that are currently excluded from AWA reporting, such as purpose-bred rats, mice, and birds. OLAW is requesting feedback on the feasibility, current institutional capabilities, expected benefits, and expected burdens associated with this type of reporting.

On October 21, OLAW announced an update to the RFI response form to extend the word limit from 700 words to 5,000 words and add space for an optional attachment. Respondents who have already submitted a response and wish to provide additional information may submit a second response.

Comments will be accepted through December 21, 2026.