Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service September 17, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are proposing to amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations governing research facilities by removing duplicative and unnecessary information requirements. We would remove the requirement that registered research facilities update their registration information every 3 years. We also propose to remove the requirement for continual, but not less than annual, review of research animal use activities and replace it with a requirement for a complete review at least every 3 years, and to no longer require that research facilities request an inactive status if they no longer use, handle, or transport AWA covered animals. In addition, we propose to clarify the duration of a registration and conditions for its cancellation, and to no longer require that the Institutional Official or Chief Executive Officer sign the annual report. We would also make miscellaneous changes to improve readability. The changes we propose would reduce duplicative requirements and administrative burden on research facilities, maintain research integrity and oversight, and ensure that research animals continue to receive humane care.