[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 43 (Friday, March 3, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11485-11486]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5164]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 71, 77, and 78

[Docket No. 99-090-1]


Livestock Identification; American Identification Numbering 
System

AGENCY:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:  Advance notice of proposed rulemaking and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY:  We are soliciting public comment on our intent to recognize 
the American Identification Numbering System as a means of providing 
unique identification for livestock on official eartags. The American 
Identification Numbering System is a universal numbering system. It can 
be used to identify an animal for many purposes, including interstate 
and international movements, food safety, genetic evaluation, and 
animal health purposes, thus reducing the need for multiple 
identification numbers and devices. Recognizing this system would allow 
producers to use it for interstate movement of livestock under our 
domestic regulations for disease control and eradication.

DATES:  We invite you to comment on this docket. We will consider all 
comments that we receive by May 2, 2000.

ADDRESSES:  Please send your comment and three copies to: Docket No. 
99-090-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 
4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
    Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 99-090-1.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room 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) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Dr. John F. Wiemers, National Animal 
Identification Director, APHIS Animal Health Programs Staff, VS, APHIS, 
2100 S. Lake Storey Road, Galesburg, IL 61401; (309) 344-1942.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regulates 
the interstate movement of certain animals to prevent the spread of 
livestock and poultry diseases within the United States. The 
regulations are contained in 9 CFR chapter I, subchapter C. Among other 
things, the regulations contain requirements for the official 
identification of animals moved interstate. One means of official 
identification is an official eartag. As defined in the regulations, an 
official eartag is an APHIS-approved, tamper-resistant eartag that 
provides unique identification for each animal. To provide unique 
identification for each animal, the regulations specify that the eartag 
must either conform to the alpha-numeric National Uniform Eartagging 
System or bear a valid premises identification number that is used in 
conjunction with the producer's livestock production numbering system. 
We are soliciting comment through this advance notice of proposed 
rulemaking on our intent to adopt another eartag numbering system-- the 
American Identification Numbering (AIN) System--as an alternative means 
of providing a unique identification for livestock.
    The official eartag currently in use under 9 CFR chapter I, 
subchapter C, as well as other official means of identification such as 
official tattoos, have been vital to disease control and eradication 
programs, but they do not meet other identification needs. For example, 
many animals have separate identification numbers and devices for on-
farm production purposes, animal data recording, genetic evaluation, 
and breed registration. Furthermore, as diseases such as tuberculosis, 
brucellosis, and pseudorabies are eradicated from the United States, 
fewer animals will be required to be officially identified under 9 CFR 
chapter I, subchapter C. As a result, our ability to trace diseased 
animals back to their herds of origin may be compromised in the future 
unless we provide producers with an identification system that will be 
useful for other purposes and easy to apply on the farm.
    The AIN System is a universal livestock identification system that 
can provide identification for many purposes, including interstate and 
international trade, food safety, genetic evaluation, and animal health 
purposes, thus reducing the need for multiple identification numbers 
and devices. It is an alpha-numeric numbering system that uses 12 
characters, in addition to a 3-character country code, to provide a 
unique identification number for individual livestock. In contrast to 
current official animal identification numbering systems, it does not 
have a State prefix, but that could be remedied by the establishment of 
a national database, where anyone could find an individual animal's 
State of origin from its identification number.
    If we recognized the AIN System as an official method of providing 
identification on eartags, it would be administered by a designated 
nonprofit organization. The administering organization would allocate 
blocks of numbers to other groups or organizations, such as breed 
associations, industry groups, and States, which would, in turn, assign 
identification administrators to provide identification eartags to 
producers.

[[Page 11486]]

Identification administrators would request additional blocks of 
numbers from the designated nonprofit organization when their allocated 
blocks were all assigned. Identification numbers would be marked on 
eartags with easy to read numbers and, potentially, machine readable 
codes. It would be the identification administrators' responsibility to 
prevent duplication of numbers and to maintain records of animals that 
are identified. They would also cooperate with APHIS for disease 
control purposes.
    Participation in using the AIN System would be voluntary. Producers 
who wished to continue using their current systems of identification 
could continue to do so. Many producers already use official eartags to 
identify their livestock. Although switching to the AIN system could 
result in a small increase in costs associated with the new eartags, 
those costs could be offset by a reduced need for multiple 
identification devices.
    We recognize that the AIN System may be used to identify livestock 
on forms and devices other than eartags, such as registration papers. 
Our regulations do not preclude such uses. The only change to our 
regulations that we believe is necessary to allow use of the AIN System 
is to our definition of official eartag.
    The AIN System is compatible with current U.S. methods of livestock 
identification and with universal identification systems in other 
countries, including Canada and the European Union. APHIS' regulatory 
records could be adapted to accept the AIN System for all recordkeeping 
related to the interstate and international movement of animals, semen, 
embryos, and related animal products.
    The AIN System has been demonstrated in the United States under a 
dairy industry initiative called the National Farm Animal 
Identification and Records (F.A.I.R.) pilot project. Under the National 
F.A.I.R. pilot project, which began in the spring of 1998, 60,000 to 
70,000 dairy cattle have been identified using the AIN system. The 
Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDBC) administers the system.
    We invite comments concerning the implementation and use of the AIN 
System on official eartags. In particular, we are soliciting comments 
from all livestock industries, including the beef, dairy, equine, 
sheep, swine, and goat industries, concerning the system's lack of a 
State prefix, the administration of the AIN System, and the concept of 
a universal identification system, in general, as opposed to multiple 
systems of identification.

    Authority:  21 U.S.C. 111-113, 114, 114a, 114a-1, 115-117, 120-
126, 134b, and 134f; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(d).

    Done in Washington, DC, this 28th day of February 2000.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-5164 Filed 3-2-00; 8:45 am]
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