[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 90 (Friday, May 9, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25444-25445]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-12084]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 160 and 161

[Docket No. 96-075-2]


Accredited Veterinarians; Optional Digital Signature

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations to accept digital signatures 
from accredited veterinarians as an additional option for official 
certificates, forms, records, and reports to the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service. Before the publication of this document, we 
required hand written signatures on all such documents. We believe that 
accepting digital signatures will benefit accredited veterinarians and 
the industries they serve by reducing the turnaround time for these 
documents. This action relieves restrictions that appear to be 
unnecessary.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 9, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Joseph S. VanTiem, Senior Staff 
Veterinarian, National Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS, 4700 River 
Road Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231, (301) 734-7716, or e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 9 CFR parts 160 and 161 (the regulations), 
govern the accreditation of veterinarians. Accredited veterinarians are 
approved by the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) to perform certain regulatory tasks to control and 
prevent the spread of animal diseases throughout the country and 
internationally. One of these regulatory tasks is preparing official 
documents including certificates, forms, records, and reports and 
submitting such documents to APHIS. Before the publication of this 
document, we required a hand written signature by the accredited 
veterinarian on all official certificates, forms, records, and reports.
    On January 6, 1997, we published in the Federal Register (62 FR 
597-600, Docket No. 96-075-1) a proposal to amend the regulations by 
allowing accredited veterinarians the additional option of signing 
official certificates, forms, records, and reports by use of a digital 
signature and of transmitting such documents electronically to APHIS.
    We solicited comments concerning our proposal for 60 days ending 
March 7, 1997. We received two comments by that date. They were from 
industry representatives. Both responses were in favor of our proposal 
to accept digital signatures from accredited veterinarians.
    The commenters both supported our proposal and agreed that the 
acceptance of digital signatures and electronically transmitted 
documents will expedite document creation and processing and benefit 
all parties by saving time and money.
    Therefore, based on the rationale set forth in the proposed rule, 
we are adopting the provisions of the proposal as a final rule without 
change.

Effective Date

    This is a substantive rule that relieves restrictions and, pursuant 
to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, may be made effective less than 30 
days after publication in the Federal Register. Immediate 
implementation of this rule is necessary to provide relief to those 
persons who are adversely affected by restrictions we no longer find 
warranted. The current method of delivering certificates is time 
consuming and expensive. The optional use of digital signatures and 
electronic transmissions will save both time and money and expedite 
exports. Therefore, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service has determined that this rule should be effective 
upon publication in the Federal Register.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. The rule 
has been determined to be not significant for the purposes of Executive 
Order 12866 and, therefore, has not been reviewed by the Office of 
Management and Budget.
    We do not have enough data for a comprehensive analysis of the 
economic impacts of this final rule on small entities. Therefore, in 
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., we have performed a Final 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis, set forth below, regarding the 
economic effect of this rule on small entities.
    Under the Animal Industry Act (21 U.S.C. 112, 113-114a-1, and 115), 
the Animal Quarantine Acts and the Cattle Contagious Diseases Act (21 
U.S.C. 105, 111-113, 120, 121, and 125), the Federal Meat Inspection 
Act (21 U.S.C. 612 and 613), the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Research Act 
(21 U.S.C. 113a), and the Horse Protection Act (15 U.S.C. 1828), the 
Secretary of Agriculture has the authority to promulgate regulations 
and take measures to prevent the introduction and dissemination of 
communicable diseases of livestock and poultry. In accordance with the 
regulations in 9 CFR parts 160, 161, and 162, some veterinarians are 
accredited by the Federal Government to cooperate with APHIS in 
controlling and preventing the introduction and dissemination of animal 
diseases. Accredited veterinarians use their professional training in 
veterinary medicine to perform certain regulatory tasks. One of these 
regulatory tasks is preparing official documents, including 
certificates, forms, records, and reports and submitting such documents 
to APHIS. Before the publication of this document, only a hand written 
signature of an accredited veterinarian was acceptable.
    We are amending the regulations to allow accredited veterinarians 
to use digital signatures in place of hand written signatures. Allowing 
the electronic transmission of signed documents will benefit accredited 
veterinarians and the industries they serve by eliminating the time-
consuming step of physical transmission from the accredited 
veterinarian to the VS area office and others involved in the process.
    An example of a document which accredited veterinarians must sign 
is an export health certificate. For the poultry industry, VS Form 17-
6, Certificate for Poultry or Hatching Eggs for Export, is used as an 
export health certificate. Before the publication of this document, a 
VS Form 17-6 was processed as follows: The producer filled out 
information related to the exportation on the VS Form 17-6 and sent it 
to the accredited veterinarian; the accredited veterinarian filled out 
the information about the health of the poultry or eggs on the VS Form 
17-6, including any required test information, signed the VS Form 17-6 
and sent it to the VS area office; the APHIS veterinarian reviewed and 
endorsed the VS Form 17-6 and sent it back to the producer, who sent 
the VS Form 17-6 to the importing country. Throughout this process, 
there could have been time delays and additional expenses incurred for 
mailing or special handling to move the certificate from one place to 
the next.
    With the use of digital signatures, the accredited veterinarian can 
receive, complete, and sign an automated document from the producer. 
The accredited veterinarian can electronically transmit the signed 
document to the VS area office. Therefore, this amendment eliminates

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the need to pay couriers or package delivery companies and wait for 
delivery between the producers, accredited veterinarians, and the VS 
area office.
    This rule provides an additional option for signing and submitting 
official certificates, forms, records, and reports. While not requiring 
that this option be exercised, there are potential savings for those 
accredited veterinarians who make use of this option. The delivery 
costs associated with these documents can vary widely based on the 
delivery method used. Therefore, we cannot accurately estimate the 
potential savings. However, we expect that this rule will benefit 
accredited veterinarians and their clients, whether large or small.
    An alternative to this rule was to make no changes in the 
regulations. We rejected this alternative because accredited 
veterinarians will not be required to use this alternative signature 
method.
    This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping 
requirements.

Executive Order 12372

    This program/activity is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.025 and is subject to Executive Order 12372, 
which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local 
officials. (See 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V.)

Executive Order 12988

    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, Civil 
Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and 
regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no 
retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings 
before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule contains no new information collection or recordkeeping 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.).

Regulatory Reform

    This action is part of the President's Regulatory Reform 
Initiative, which, among other things, directs agencies to remove 
obsolete and unnecessary regulations and to find less burdensome ways 
to achieve regulatory goals.

List of Subjects

9 CFR Part 160

    Veterinarians.

9 CFR Part 161

    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Veterinarians.

    Accordingly, 9 CFR parts 160 and 161 are amended as follows:

PART 160--DEFINITION OF TERMS

    1. The authority citation for part 160 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1828; 21 U.S.C. 105, 111-114, 114a, 114a-1, 
115, 116, 120, 121, 125, 134b, 134f, 612 and 613; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 
and 371.2(d).

    2. In Sec. 160.1, the definitions for issue and sign are revised 
and the definition for approved digital signature is added, in 
alphabetical order, to read as follows:


Sec. 160.1  Definitions.

* * * * *
    Approved digital signature. Digital signatures approved by the 
Administrator for electronic transmission, for example, via a computer. 
To be approved, a digital signature must be able to verify the identity 
of the accredited veterinarian signing the document and indicate if the 
integrity of the data in the signed document was compromised.
* * * * *
    Issue. The distribution, including electronic transmission, of an 
official animal health document that has been signed.
* * * * *
    Sign, (Signed). For an accredited veterinarian to put his or her 
signature in his or her own hand, or by means of an approved digital 
signature, on a certificate, form, record, or report. No certificate, 
form, record, or report is signed if:
    (1) Someone other than the accredited veterinarian has signed it on 
behalf of or in the name of the accredited veterinarian, regardless of 
the authority granted them by the accredited veterinarian; or
    (2) If any mechanical device, other than an approved digital 
signature, has been used to affix the signature.
* * * * *

PART 161--REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS FOR ACCREDITED VETERINARIANS 
AND SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF SUCH ACCREDITATION

    3. The authority citation for part 161 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 15 U.S.C. 1828; 21 U.S.C. 105, 111-114, 114a, 114a-1, 
115, 116, 120, 121, 125, 134b, 134f, 612 and 613; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 
and 371.2(d).

    4. In Sec. 161.3 paragraph (j) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 161.3  Standards for accredited veterinarian duties.

* * * * *
    (j) An accredited veterinarian shall be responsible for the 
security and proper use of all official certificates, forms, records, 
and reports; tags, bands, or other identification devices; and approved 
digital signature capabilities used in his or her work as an accredited 
veterinarian and shall take reasonable care to prevent the misuse 
thereof. An accredited veterinarian shall immediately report to the 
Veterinarian-in-Charge the loss, theft, or deliberate or accidental 
misuse of any such certificate, form, record, or report; tag, band, or 
other identification device; or approved digital signature capability.
* * * * *
    Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of May 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-12084 Filed 5-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P