Notice2025-16897
Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Approval of Laboratories for Conducting Aquatic Animal Tests for Export Health Certificates
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 3, 2025
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Abstract
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 its efforts to certify certain laboratories that conduct aquatic animal testing for export activities.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42557-42558]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16897]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 168 / Wednesday, September 3, 2025 /
Notices
[[Page 42557]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2025-0026]
Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information
Collection; Approval of Laboratories for Conducting Aquatic Animal
Tests for Export Health Certificates
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection; comment request.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: 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 its efforts to certify certain
laboratories that conduct aquatic animal testing for export activities.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
November 3, 2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go
to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. Enter APHIS-2025-0026 in the Search field.
Select the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of
documents.
<bullet> Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2025-0026, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD,
APHIS, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., #AP760, Beltsville, MD 20705.
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may
be viewed at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or in our reading room, which
is located in room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure
someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799-7039 before coming.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on conducting aquatic
animal tests for export health certificates, contact Janet Warg,
Microbiologist, Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary
Services Laboratories, 1920 Dayton Avenue, P.O. Box 844, Ames, IA
50010; (515) 337-7879. For more information on the information
collection process, contact Ms. Sheniqua Harris, APHIS' Information
Collection Coordinator, at 301-851-2528 or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9ddccdd5d4ceb3cdcfdcdde8eef9fcb3faf2eb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="f2b3a2babba1dca2a0b3b287819693dc959d84">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Approval of Laboratories for Conducting Aquatic Animal Tests
for Export Health Certificates.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0429.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: The Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA, 7 U.S.C. 8301 et
seq.) is the primary Federal law governing the protection of animal
health. The AHPA gives the Secretary of Agriculture broad authority to
detect, control, or eradicate pests or diseases of livestock or
poultry. The Secretary may also prohibit or restrict import or export
of any animal or related material if necessary to prevent the spread of
any livestock or poultry pest or disease.
Disease prevention is the most effective method for maintaining a
healthy animal population and enhancing the ability of U.S. producers
to compete in the global market of animal and animal product trade. To
facilitate the export of U.S. animals and animal products, the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture maintains information regarding the import health
requirements of other countries for animals and animal products,
including aquaculture animals, exported from the United States.
While APHIS does not currently require the approval or
certification of laboratories that conduct disease tests for the export
of aquaculture animals, some countries that import these animals from
the United States require them to be tested for certain diseases and
the test results recorded on the export certificates. In addition, the
test results must originate from a laboratory approved by the competent
authority of the exporting country, which is APHIS in this case. State,
university, and private laboratories can voluntarily seek APHIS
approval of individual diagnostic methods. Though APHIS does not have
regulations for the approval or certification of laboratories that
conduct tests for the export of aquaculture animals, APHIS provides
this approval as a service to U.S. exporters who export aquaculture
animals to countries that require this certification.
APHIS evaluates diagnostic methods for detecting aquatic animal
pathogens listed by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) in
the WOAH diagnostic manual and other supporting scientific literature.
APHIS lists the laboratories approved to conduct diagnostic testing in
support of export health certification of aquatic species at <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/approved-labs-aquaculture.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/approved-labs-aquaculture.pdf</a>.
Once approved, the laboratories are inspected by APHIS every 2 years to
maintain their approval.
The approval of laboratories to conduct tests for the export of
aquaculture animals requires the use of certain information collection
activities including notification of intent to request approval,
application for APHIS approval, protocol statement, submission and
recordkeeping of sample copies of diagnostic reports, quality
assurance/control plans and their recordkeeping, notification of
proposed changes to assay protocols, recordkeeping of supporting assay
documentation, and request for removal of approved status.
We are asking OMB to approve our use of these information
collection activities, as described, for an additional 3 years.
The purpose of this notice is to solicit comments from the public
(as well as affected agencies) concerning our information collection.
These comments will help us:
(1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including
whether the information will have practical utility;
[[Page 42558]]
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of our estimate of the burden of the
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology
and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, through use, as appropriate, of automated,
electronic, mechanical, and other collection technologies; e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of responses.
Estimate of burden: The public burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average 4.3 hours per response.
Respondents: State, university, and private laboratory personnel.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 9.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 47.
Estimated annual number of responses: 419.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 1,806 hours. (Due to
averaging, the total annual burden hours may not equal the product of
the annual number of responses multiplied by the reporting burden per
response.)
All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of
public record.
Done in Washington, DC, this 25th day of August 2025.
Michael Watson,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2025-16897 Filed 9-2-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 3, 2025.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.