0579-AD99 201804 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions 0579 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service APHIS 0500 Department of Agriculture USDA Animal Welfare; Establishing De Minimis Exemptions From Licensing

In the 2014 Farm Bill, Congress amended the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with the authority to determine what facilities and activities involving AWA-regulated animals are de minimis and therefore exempt from licensure and oversight. We are amending the AWA regulations to enact this new provision. This change provides APHIS with the flexibility to exempt from licensing those dealers and exhibitors who provide adequate levels of humane care to their animals, allowing us to target our enforcement resources where they are most needed. Dealers and exhibitors operating at or below the threshold will be exempted from APHIS licensing and oversight under the AWA.

]]> Substantive, Nonsignificant Previously Published in The Unified Agenda Final Rule Stage No No Deregulatory 9 CFR 1 to 3 7 U.S.C. 2131 to 2159 Yes NPRM 08/04/2016 81 FR 51386 NPRM Comment Period End 11/02/2016 Final Rule 06/00/2018 Additional information about APHIS and its programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov. Yes Businesses Federal No Yes No Kay Carter-Corker Director, National Policy Staff, Animal Care 0579 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service APHIS 301 851-3748 4700 River Road, Unit 84, Riverdale MD 20737