On Nov. 20, 1985, the Health Research Extension Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-158) was signed into law by the U.S. Congress. The law revised and extended the authorities under that Act relating to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Research Institutes, and for other purposes.”

Among other things, it instructed the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the NIH Director, to establish a plan for the care and use of animals in biomedical and behavioral research relating to the NIH. This requirement was met in the 1986 edition of the PHS Policy and subsequent revisions.

The act also affirmed the special authorities of the National Cancer Institute and emphasized the importance of information dissemination to the public.