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     SB 851, Relating to: the use of live animals in medical training and providing a penalty, was introduced on January 15, 2026 by Senator Cabral-Guevara and cosponsored by Representatives Gustafson, Armstrong, Dittrich and Goeben.  It was assigned to the Senate Committee on Health. A Public Hearing was held on 1/29/26. You can read the Public Hearing testimony by clicking the link below:

    Public Hearing Testimony & Materials   

     On January 16, 2026, a companion bill, AB 865, was introduced by Representatives Gustafson, Goeben, Dittrich and Armstrong and cosponsored by Senator Cabral-GuevaraIt. It was referred to the Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care.

     SB 851/AB 865, quite simply states that educational institutions are prohibited from using live animals to train medical students, residents, fellows, interns, or physicians in the medical treatment of human beings if 1) at least one other accredited training program in the same medical discipline does not use live animals or 2) there is an alternate teaching method or accredited course that provides equivalent training without the use of live animals.

From the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine:

     "At the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, general surgery residents cut into live pigs to perform procedures and remove organs. If the animals survive the invasive procedures, they are then killed. But that practice is not only cruel—it is unnecessary. ...

     "In January 2026, legislators introduced Senate Bill 851 and Assembly Bill 865, which would prohibit a medical center from using animals if other methods are available—as they are in the case of MCW.

     "High-fidelity surgical simulators, virtual and augmented reality systems, and training with donated human tissue allow residents to practice repeatedly and learn on realistic human anatomy without causing animals to suffer.

     "Across the U.S. and Canada, 80% of surveyed general surgery programs use only nonanimal training methods, such as medical simulators and human cadavers. These are the tools used by hundreds of surgery programs, including those affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and the University of Wisconsin."

     WE STRONGLY SUPPORT this bill. To quote Rep. Nate Gustafson, one of the authors of the bill, "This legislation promotes ethical standards, aligns Wisconsin with modem medical education practices, and ensures high-quality training without unnecessary harm to animals."

Bill Summary (by the Legislative Reference Bureau):

     This bill prohibits an educational institution from using live animals to train medical students, residents, fellows, interns, or physicians in the medical treatment of human beings if 1) at least one other accredited training program in the same medical discipline does not use live animals or 2) there is an alternate teaching method or accredited course that provides equivalent training without the use of live animals, which alternate teaching method may include human cadavers, high-fidelity synthetic simulators, virtual reality models, or other alternatives modeled on human anatomy. A person who violates this prohibition must forfeit $1,000 for each live animal used."

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

     General guidelines for contacting your representatives: Try to keep your message brief, and be sure to give your name, complete mailing address, and phone number. Let your representative know that you are a constituent. Please, ALWAYS be polite and respectful. Name-calling, and rude or abusive letters or emails will hurt, rather than help, our cause.

• PLEASE contact your WI State Legislators and ask them to SUPPORT SB 851/AB 865, Relating to: the use of live animals in medical training.  Please put something like "YES to SB 851/AB 865" in the subject line. All you really need to say is, "I am a constituent, and I am asking you please to vote YES on SB 851/AB 865, relating to the use of live animals in medical training. This bill would prohibit colleges and medical schools from subjecting live animals to tremendous pain and stress in the name of education if other methods such as simulators, virtual reality, and donated human tissues are available." You can add your reasons for asking if you wish to do so. (Scroll down this page for more info on the bill and Talking Points, if you need them, and, as always, please keep your tone polite and respectful.)

• Please see our Talking Points for more resources.

    Find your WI State Representatives      What To Expect At A Public Hearing   

Talking Points:

• At the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, general surgery residents cut into live pigs to perform procedures and remove organs. If the animals survive the invasive procedures, they are then killed. But that practice is not only cruel—it is unnecessary.

• High-fidelity surgical simulators, virtual and augmented reality systems, and training with donated human tissue allow residents to practice repeatedly and learn on realistic human anatomy without causing animals to suffer.

• Across the U.S. and Canada, 80% of surveyed general surgery programs use only nonanimal training methods, such as medical simulators and human cadavers. These are the tools used by hundreds of surgery programs, including those affiliated with Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, and the University of Wisconsin.

• For more talking points, please read the Public Hearing Testimony & Materials. Below are some quotes taken from those documents:

  • The use of live dogs, kittens, rabbits, pigs, and other animals has raised ethical issues and regret in many physicians who, as students, were required to practice procedures on them. "...all these creatures were referred to as lab animals to remove any responsibility from us or compassion for them and to easier justify their use. Their enforced anonymity and sacrifice still haunt me today.
         "These animal labs were an unnecessary component of my training, and my education would not have been hindered in their absence. My training with human cadavers was exceedingly more valuable and provided a much more robust and lasting learning experience." -- Mary M. Milbraith, MD

  • "Harming and killing animals unnecessarily chips away at what it means to be a caring healthcare provider. The practice can leave deep emotional scars on those who take part. That moral concern for the animals and for the doctors themselves is one reason hundreds of medical schools have stopped the practice. But they also changed because its better to train doctors on human anatomy." -- Marina Kropp, M.D.

  • "This bill strikes a balanced approach: it safeguards animal welfare while allowing for exceptions in cases where no viable alternative exists, such as specialized research or procedures deemed essential by experts." -- Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara

  • "This legislation promotes ethical standards, aligns Wisconsin with modem medical education practices, and ensures high-quality training without unnecessary harm to animals." -- Rep. Nate Gustafson, bill author

  • "The technology available to medical schools today is wildly impressive. I wish we had these tools when I was a student and resident. Take for example the Open Surgical Simulation System. This realistic device accurately replicates the chest and abdominal cavities of a patient with anatomically correct internal organs, realistic flowing blood, and replaceable tissues that can be used to teach complex surgical procedures. And there are dozens more examples like that.
         "Considering how widely used those human-based methods are, I'm shocked that the Medical College of Wisconsin still kills animals to teach surgeons. That practice is wildly out of step with how most surgery programs train." -- Judith Green, MD, FACS

  • "Across the country, medical training programs are already moving away from live animal use because animal anatomy and physiology differ significantly from humans, making animal-based exercises less relevant for preparing clinicians to treat real patients. By contrast, advanced simulation and human- focused models provide trainees with repeatable, clinically accurate experience that better reflects the conditions they will encounter in practice.
         "In addition, the use of live animals raises serious ethical concerns and is increasingly out of step with both public expectations and scientific best practices. Wisconsin has an opportunity to lead by ensuring that medical education prioritizes patient-relevant training while also reducing unnecessary animal suffering." -- Meredith Blanchard, Director of Advocacy and Policy, National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS)

    Bill Text      Bill History      Bill Summary   

   TAKE ACTION       Talking Points   

    Find your WI State Representatives   

    What To Expect At A Public Hearing