Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service March 2019 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We are announcing a partial withdrawal of a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2015, that, if finalized, would have consolidated the regulations governing bovine tuberculosis and those governing brucellosis. Specifically, we are withdrawing those portions of the proposed rule that would have affected the provisions governing our domestic brucellosis and tuberculosis programs. We are taking this action after considering the comments we received following the publication of the proposed rule.

We are affirming the supplemental requirements we added for the importation of fresh sweet orange, grapefruit, mandarin, clementine, and tangerine fruit from Colombia into the United States. In a previous notice, we made available to the public for review and comment supplemental requirements for mitigating pest risks posed by the importation of those commodities from Colombia into the United States. We also made available a pest risk assessment and commodity import evaluation document. After reviewing the comments we received on those documents, we are affirming the supplemental requirements we added to the Fruits and Vegetables Import Requirements database.

We are amending the scrapie regulations by changing the risk groups and categories established for individual animals and for flocks, increasing the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, reducing movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie, and simplifying, reducing, or removing certain recordkeeping requirements. We are also providing designated scrapie epidemiologists with more alternatives and flexibility when testing animals in order to determine flock designations under the regulations. We are changing the definition of high-risk animal, which will change the types of animals eligible for indemnity, and to pay higher indemnity for certain pregnant ewes and does and early maturing ewes and does. The changes will also make the identification and recordkeeping requirements for goat owners consistent with those for sheep owners. These changes affect sheep and goat producers, persons who handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce, and State governments.

We are advising the public that we are proposing to recognize Singapore as being free of foot-and-mouth disease. This proposed recognition is based on an evaluation we have prepared in connection with this action, which we are making available for review and comment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of sand pears from China into the United States.

We are proposing to amend the regulations governing the National Veterinary Accreditation Program by clarifying the veterinary programs for which accredited veterinarians are authorized to perform duties under the Animal Health Protection Act. We are also proposing to add or revise certain definitions and terms used in the regulations. The changes we propose would update the program regulations.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's intention to request a revision to and extension of approval of an information collection associated with the regulations for the importation of wooden handicrafts from China.

We are proposing to amend the domestic quarantine regulations for pale cyst nematode by adding procedures that would allow persons to review and comment on the protocols for regulating and deregulating quarantine and associated areas. As part of this proposal, we are making the protocols publicly available. We are proposing these actions in response to a court order requiring the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to facilitate public input into the development of protocols for deregulating fields for pale cyst nematode. The changes we propose would make the protocols more accessible and give persons the opportunity to comment on their development.