California: Save Animals and Modernize Science Class!

Assembly Member Ash Kalra (D–San Jose) recently introduced Assembly Bill 2640, the CLASS (Compassionate Learning Advancements for Science Students) Act, sponsored by PETA, Social Compassion in Legislation, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The CLASS Act would modernize science education in the state of California by requiring teachers to present sourcing and environmental concerns about animal dissection to students and to inform them of their right to choose a non-animal replacement. This bill would support classrooms in becoming more inclusive and trauma-informed, along with preventing the needless deaths of countless animals.

Dissecting animals is costly, exposes students and educators to carcinogenic chemicals, and hurts the environment. Each year in the U.S., an estimated 10 million animals are killed specifically for dissection. Frogs are taken from the wild (a practice that disrupts ecosystems), fetal piglets are cut from the wombs of their mothers, and cats who end up on dissection trays could be someone’s lost companion. Other animals are routinely drowned or suffocated.

Studies show that students who use non-animal methods perform as well as, if not better than, peers who dissect animals, according to a systematic review published in The American Biology Teacher, a leading, peer-reviewed science-education journal. Non-animal methods—such as eMind digital dissection software and synthetic dissectible models—cut costs and reduce waste.

Legislators need to hear that you’re in favor of this important bill! Use the form below to ask them to support modernizing science education by voting YES on AB 2640.

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