[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 123 (Tuesday, June 26, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38073-38074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15596]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Laboratory Animal Welfare: Clarification of Position Statements 
on Implementation of the Eighth Edition of the Guide for the Care and 
Use of Laboratory Animals

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, HHS.

[[Page 38074]]


ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is providing 
clarification after analyzing public comments received regarding the 10 
Position Statements that were developed to aid research institutions in 
their implementation of the 8th Edition of the Guide for the Care and 
Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide). In response to those comments, NIH 
has clarified Position Statements (1) Cost, (2) Housing, (2a) Nonhuman 
Primate Housing, (2c) Rodent Housing, and (3) Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade 
Substances.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, 
Office of Extramural Research, NIH, RKL1, Suite 360, 6705 Rockledge 
Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-7982; phone 301-496-7163.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background

    Since 1985, the Public Health Service (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. The 8th Edition of the Guide was published in 
January 2011 by the National Research Council of the National Academy 
of Sciences. (See http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12910.) 
Following a public comment period, NIH adopted the 8th Edition of the 
Guide in December 2011 and released 10 Position Statements to aid PHS-
Assured institutions--those with an approved Animal Welfare Assurance--
in their implementation of the Guide (76 FR 74803). The public was 
invited to submit comments on their understanding of the Position 
Statements until February 3, 2012 (76 FR 74804, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-12-042.html). NIH received a total of 
44 comments: 26 responses from those who identified themselves as 
individuals, 6 from PHS-Assured institutions, 2 from animal advocacy 
organizations, and 9 from professional organizations. The comments may 
be viewed at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2011positionstatement_comments/web_listing.htm.
    In response to those comments, NIH has clarified the following 
Position Statements: (1) Cost, (2) Housing, (2a) Nonhuman Primate 
Housing, (2c) Rodent Housing, and (3) Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade 
Substances. (See http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/positionstatement_guide.htm.) For a summary of the changes in the Position Statements, 
see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2011positionstatement_maysummary.pdf (PDF). For an archive of the original version, see 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/2011positionstatement_decarchive.pdf 
(PDF).

II. Electronic Access

    The 8th Edition of the Guide is available on the NIH Office of 
Laboratory Animal Welfare Web site at http://olaw.nih.gov.

    Dated: June 19, 2012.
Francis S. Collins,
Director, National Institutes of Health.
[FR Doc. 2012-15596 Filed 6-25-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P