National List of Reportable Animal Diseases; Revising Proposed Rule, and Reopening of Comment Period

Issuing agencies

Abstract

We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that would amend disease regulations to provide a National List of Reportable Animal Diseases (NLRAD). Our proposed rule would have required animal health professionals suspecting or diagnosing incidences of animal diseases or disease agents classified as "notifiable" in the NLRAD to immediately report to both State and Federal officials. During the comment period for the proposed rule, however, several commenters raised concerns regarding the confidentiality of information reported under NLRAD, and that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service does not have the ability to provide Federal assurances of such confidentiality for information reported to States. In light of the validity of this concern, we are proposing a possible modification to our proposed rule to no longer require reporting to State officials; other existing Federal, State, and local disease reporting requirements would be unaffected, however. We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule to provide interested persons with an opportunity to prepare and submit comments regarding this possible modification to the proposed rule.