[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 16593-16594]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07217]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Parts 51, 71, 75, 78, 85, and 86

[Docket No. APHIS-2014-0018]
RIN 0579-AE02


Livestock Marketing Facilities

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for our proposed rule that 
would amend the regulations governing approval of facilities that 
receive livestock moved in interstate commerce, as well as the 
conditions under which livestock may move to such facilities without 
official identification or prior issuance of an interstate certificate 
of veterinary inspection or alternative documentation. This action will 
allow interested persons additional time to prepare and submit 
comments.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on January 2, 
2015 (80 FR 6 through 13) is reopened. We will consider all comments 
that we receive on or before April 15, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-0018.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2014-0018, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may 
be viewed at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2014-
0018 or in our reading room, which 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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Neil Hammerschmidt, Program 
Manager, Animal Disease Traceability, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
200, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 851-3539.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 16594]]

Background

    On January 2, 2015, we published in the Federal Register (80 FR 6 
through 13, Docket No. APHIS-2014-0018) a proposal to amend the 
regulations in 9 CFR subchapters B and C.
    We proposed to amend the regulations in part 51 of subchapter B and 
several parts of subchapter C to, among other things, replace 
references to ``approved livestock facilities,'' ``approved 
stockyards'' and ``specifically approved stockyards'' with the term 
``approved livestock marketing facilities.''
    We proposed to amend the regulations in Sec.  71.20, which provide 
the conditions under which the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture may 
approve a livestock facility to receive livestock that are moved 
interstate under conditions that are afforded only to such approved 
facilities. The current regulations in that section require the person 
legally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility to 
execute an agreement with APHIS regarding the manner in which the 
facility will operate, if approved. The provisions of the agreement are 
currently set forth in the regulations.
    We proposed to remove the terms of the agreement from the 
regulations, and place them instead in a document titled ``The Approved 
Livestock Marketing Facility Agreement,'' which we would maintain on 
the Internet. We also proposed to update the terms of the agreement and 
to make other amendments to Sec.  71.20 that would update and clarify 
the section's content.
    We proposed to revise Sec.  86.4 in order to clarify the conditions 
under which cattle and bison may be moved interstate to an approved 
livestock marketing facility without official identification. We also 
proposed to revise Sec.  86.5 in order to clarify the conditions under 
which cattle or bison may be moved interstate to an approved livestock 
facility without an accompanying interstate certificate of veterinary 
inspection or owner-shipper statement.
    Comments on the proposed rule were required to be received on or 
before March 3, 2015. We are reopening the comment period on Docket No. 
APHIS-2014-0018. The comment period will now close on April 15, 2015. 
We will also accept all comments received between March 4, 2015 (the 
day after the close of the original comment period) and the date of 
this notice. This action will allow interested persons additional time 
to prepare and submit comments.

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 8301-8317; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of March 2015.
Jere L. Dick,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-07217 Filed 3-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P