[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 39 (Wednesday, February 28, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8960-8961]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-3509]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2007-0026]


Public Meetings; National Animal Identification System Animal 
Identification Number Device Distribution Databases

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: This is a notice to inform interested stakeholders of upcoming 
public meetings to discuss the implementation of private/State animal 
identification number device distribution databases for the animal 
identification component of the National Animal Identification System, 
which is a voluntary program. The meetings are being organized by the 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

DATES: Two meetings will be held, the first on Monday, March 5, 2007, 
from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, March 6, 2007, from 8 a.m. to noon, 
and the second on Monday, March 12, 2007, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 
Tuesday, March 13, 2007, from 8 a.m. to noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held in the Hilton Kansas City 
Airport, 8801 NW. 112th Street, Kansas City, MO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Coordinator, 
National Animal Identification System, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
200, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-5571.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of ongoing efforts to safeguard 
animal health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated 
implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in 
2004. The NAIS is a cooperative State-Federal-industry program 
coordinated by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
(APHIS).
    The first two components of the program, premises registration and 
animal identification, are well underway. The third component, animal 
tracing, is currently under development by APHIS and its State and 
industry partners. Industry, through private systems, and States will 
manage the animal tracking databases (ATDs) that maintain the movement 
records of animals. These information systems will provide the 
locations of a subject animal and the records of other animals that the 
subject animal came into contact with at

[[Page 8961]]

each premises. Currently, we have cooperative agreements with 14 
organizations that are participating by managing interim ATDs.
    The NAIS is a voluntary program, and protecting individuals' 
private information and confidential business information is important 
to APHIS and to all participants and potential participants in the 
system. APHIS maintains only limited premises registration information 
and will not have direct access to animal identification or movement 
records. Animal health officials will request access to animal movement 
and location records only in the case of an animal disease event.
    In keeping with this policy, the records of animal identification 
number (AIN) devices distributed to a premises when used for voluntary 
participation in the NAIS will be held by private entities and 
organizations or by States in AIN device distribution databases (AIN 
DDDs), rather than in APHIS's AIN Management System. This program 
change is, we believe, an important one that will serve to encourage 
participation in the voluntary animal identification component of the 
NAIS.
    While AIN tags used for disease and/or regulatory programs such as 
the National Scrapie Eradication Program will continue to be 
administered through the AIN Management System, the distribution 
records of AIN devices to producers that voluntarily participate in the 
NAIS will not be maintained on that system. APHIS will continue to 
approve identification devices for official use in the NAIS and 
establish agreements with the manufacturers for the authorized use of 
the AIN. Producers will continue to need a premises identification 
number to obtain AIN tags. The revised system will still maintain the 
data requirements of the AIN Management System, but the records of AINs 
distributed to each premises will be held privately or by the States. 
The AIN DDDs will be integrated with the NAIS in a manner similar to 
the one used for the integration of private and State ATDs into our 
Animal Trace Processing System (ATPS).
    Authorized Federal and State animal health officials will need 
access to some of the animal tracking and animal identification 
information to be held in the privately or State-administered databases 
in certain situations. APHIS has defined the situations that would 
trigger the authorization for animal health officials to request 
information from AIN DDDs through the ATPS as follows:
    1. An indication of (suspect, presumptive positive, etc.) or 
confirmed positive test for a foreign animal disease;
    2. An animal disease emergency as determined by the Secretary of 
Agriculture and/or State Departments of Agriculture; and
    3. The need to conduct a traceback/traceforward to determine the 
origin of infection for a program disease (brucellosis, tuberculosis, 
etc.).
    The transition to the private and State AIN DDDs is expected to 
begin in April 2007. Therefore, in order to provide a forum for the 
discussion of issues related to privately and State-administered AIN 
DDDs, APHIS is holding two public meetings. Interested private 
organizations and State agencies that have databases that could 
integrate with the NAIS as AIN DDDs are encouraged to attend. Other 
stakeholders, such as producers and AIN tag manufacturers, device 
managers, and resellers, are also encouraged to participate. APHIS has 
approved AIN devices from several manufacturers. Producers can request 
AIN devices directly from these AIN tag manufacturers or from the AIN 
device managers or resellers who have marketing agreements with the 
authorized manufacturers. Additional companies and individuals may 
become engaged in the distribution of AIN devices. Because each of 
these groups and entities has a role in the distribution of AIN 
devices, a process that will be affected by this transition to State 
and private AIN DDDs, these entities too should consider participating 
in the meetings even if they do not plan on providing AIN DDDs.
    The first of the two public meetings is scheduled for Monday, March 
5, 2007, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, March 6, 2007, from 8 a.m. 
to noon. The second meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 12, 2007, 
from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday, March 13, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 
noon. Information regarding the meetings may be obtained from the 
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of February 2007.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E7-3509 Filed 2-27-07; 8:45 am]
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