Notice2026-03429
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Control of African Swine Fever; Restrictions on the Movement of Swine Products and Swine Byproducts From Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Primary source
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Published
February 20, 2026
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 control of African swine fever and restrictions on the movement of swine products and swine byproducts from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 34 (Friday, February 20, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 34 (Friday, February 20, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8179-8180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-03429]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2026-0035]
Notice of Request for Revision to and Extension of Approval of an
Information Collection; Control of African Swine Fever; Restrictions on
the Movement of Swine Products and Swine Byproducts From Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Revision to and extension of approval of an information
collection; comment request.
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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 control of African swine fever
and restrictions on the movement of swine products and swine byproducts
from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before April
21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
Enter APHIS-2026-0035 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-2026-0035, 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 in room 1620 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 the control of
African swine fever and restrictions on the movement of swine products
and swine byproducts, contact Dr. Dawn Hunter, Staff Trade Policy
Advisor, Strategy and Policy, Veterinary Services, 5601 Sunnyside Ave.,
Beltsville, MD 20705; (301) 851-3333; <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#155174627b3b5e3b5d607b61706755606671743b727a63"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d296b3a5bcfc99fc9aa7bca6b7a092a7a1b6b3fcb5bda4">[email protected]</span></a>. For
information on the information collection process, contact Ms. Sheniqua
Harris, APHIS' Paperwork Reduction Act Coordinator, at (301) 851-2528;
or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0140514948522f51534041747265602f666e77"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="59180911100a77090b18192c2a3d38773e362f">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Control of African Swine Fever; Restrictions on the Movement
of Swine Products and Swine Byproducts From Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands.
OMB Control Number: 0579-0480.
Type of Request: Revision to and extension of approval of an
information collection.
Abstract: Under the Animal Health Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 8301 et
seq.), the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is
authorized to protect the health of the livestock, poultry, and
aquaculture populations in the United States by preventing the
introduction and interstate spread of serious diseases and pests of
livestock, poultry, and aquaculture, and for eradicating such diseases
and pests from the United States, when feasible. Within the USDA, this
authority and mission is delegated to the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS).
Within APHIS, Veterinary Services (VS) is tasked with, among other
things, preventing foreign animal disease outbreaks in the United
States, and monitoring, controlling, and eliminating a disease outbreak
should one occur. In the past several years, there have been
significant worldwide outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF). ASF is a
highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting domestic and feral
(wild) pigs. The disease has not been detected in the United States;
however, APHIS is committed to working with State and industry partners
to keep the disease out of the country.
The Dominican Republic has continued to report a significant
outbreak of ASF. While ASF is not known to occur in Puerto Rico or the
U.S. Virgin Islands, they are in proximity to the Dominican Republic.
Frequent passenger travel and international mail shipments occur
between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands, as well as frequent small-scale commercial agricultural trade.
Thus, APHIS identified several pathways for the possible introduction
of ASF from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Moreover, there are known commercial and feral pig populations
in both territories, and there were no restrictions on the interstate
movement of live swine, swine germplasm, swine products, and swine
byproducts from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands into the
continental United States. Accordingly, APHIS suspended interstate
movement of live swine, swine germplasm, and processed swine products
and byproducts through issuance of a Federal Order (DA-2021-0002) \1\
on September 17, 2021. In situations where a disease risk is
sufficiently severe and fast-moving so that the regular regulatory
process cannot provide adequate relief, APHIS employs Federal Orders to
set trade restrictions quickly to control, eradicate, or prevent a
disease threat.
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\1\ <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/fed-order-suspend-swine-from-pr-vi.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/downloads/fed-order-suspend-swine-from-pr-vi.pdf</a>.
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Since the issuance of the Federal Order, APHIS has established
sufficient mitigations to allow the movement of certain swine products
and swine byproducts under specified conditions that mitigate the risk
of spreading ASF through interstate commerce. As a result, on December
2, 2021, APHIS issued a Federal Order (DA-2021-0003) \2\ to allow
interstate movement of certain swine products and byproducts from
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands under certain conditions. To
certify compliance with this Federal Order and restriction guidelines
for the intestate movement of swine products and byproducts from Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, commercial producers must meet the
requirements as listed in the Federal Order or complete a VS Form 16-3,
an application for a permit to import or transport-controlled material
or organisms or vectors.
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\2\ <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fo-asf-signed.pdf">https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fo-asf-signed.pdf</a>.
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We are asking the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve
our use of these information collection activities, as described, for
an additional 3 years. APHIS has amended this information collection by
decreasing the number of Respondents reporting showing a decrease in
the number of Responses and Total Burden Hours.
[[Page 8180]]
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;
(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 1.5 hours per response.
Respondents: Commercial producers of swine products and byproducts
and State animal health officials.
Estimated annual number of respondents: 11.
Estimated annual number of responses per respondent: 2.
Estimated annual number of responses: 20.
Estimated total annual burden on respondents: 30 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 18th day of February 2026.
Kelly Moore,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-03429 Filed 2-19-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
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