Washington (CNN) Republican Rep. Mike Bishop introduced a bill on Friday to stop the Department of Agriculture from using cats and kittens in painful experiments.

The legislation, dubbed the "Kittens in Traumatic Testing Ends Now Act of 2018," or KITTEN Act, directs the secretary of agriculture to "end the use of cats in experiments that cause pain or stress." It is co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jimmy Panetta of California.

"The USDA must stop killing kittens, and I hope to work collaboratively with the agency towards that goal," Bishop, of Michigan, said in a statement.

The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legislation.

Earlier this week, Bishop sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue expressing alarm and asking questions about research allegedly conducted by the department.

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