[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 37 (Thursday, February 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10379-10380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4172]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
Laboratory Animal Welfare: Proposed Adoption and Implementation
of the Eighth Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals
AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) requests public
comments on (1) NIH's adoption of the eighth edition of the Guide for
the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) as a basis for
evaluation of institutional programs receiving or proposing to receive
Public Health Service (PHS) support for activities involving animals;
and (2) if NIH decides to adopt the eighth edition of the Guide, NIH's
proposed implementation plan, which would require that institutions
complete at least one semiannual program and facility evaluation using
the eighth edition of the Guide as the basis for evaluation by March
31, 2012. NIH will consider comments on (1) the adoption of the Guide
and (2) the implementation plan.
DATES: Written comments on the adoption and implementation of the
eighth edition of the Guide must be received by NIH within 30 days of
the date of publication of this notice in order to be considered.
ADDRESSES: Public comments may be entered at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2011guidecomments/add.htm. Comments will be made publicly
available. Personally identifiable information (except organizational
affiliations) will be removed prior to making comments publicly
available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare,
Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health, RKL1,
Suite 360, 6705 Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7982; telephone
301-496-7163.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Guide, first published in 1963, is a widely accepted primary
reference on animal care and use. Recommendations in the Guide are
based on published data, scientific principles, expert opinion, and
experience with methods and practices that are determined to be
consistent with high quality, humane animal care and use. The eighth
edition of the Guide was published in January 2011 following a study by
the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS). The NAS study process began in 2008 and followed the
requirements of Section 15 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The
NAS study process is described at the NAS Web site: http://www.nationalacademies.org/studyprocess/index.html.
Since 1985, the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory
Animals, authorized by Public Law 99-158, 42 U.S.C. 289d, and
incorporated by reference at 42 CFR 52.8 and 42 CFR 52a.8, has required
that institutions receiving PHS support for animal activities base
their animal care and use programs on the current edition of the Guide
and comply, as applicable, with the Animal Welfare Act and other
Federal statutes and regulations relating
[[Page 10380]]
to animal activities. The PHS Policy is applicable to all PHS-conducted
or -supported activities (including research, research training,
experimentation, biological testing, or related purposes) involving
live vertebrate animals.
The eighth edition of the Guide contains substantive changes and
additions from the previous edition. To gain insight from institutions
on the impact of changes to the Guide on their animal care and use
programs, NIH seeks comments on whether it should adopt the eighth
edition of the Guide. NIH simultaneously proposes an implementation
plan for the eighth edition of the Guide and seeks comments on the
proposed plan.
The implementation plan proposed by NIH would require institutions
to complete at least one semiannual program and facility evaluation,
using the eighth edition of the Guide as the basis for evaluation, by
March 31, 2012. For such an evaluation to be considered complete by
NIH, it would need to include reasonable and specific plans and
schedules for corrections of deficiencies where appropriate.
II. Electronic Access
The eighth edition of the Guide is available on the NIH Office of
Laboratory Animal Welfare Web site at http://olaw.nih.gov.
Dated: February 16, 2011.
Francis S. Collins,
Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2011-4172 Filed 2-23-11; 8:45 am]
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