[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 43 (Monday, March 8, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13221-13222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04716]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
9 CFR Chapter I
Food Safety and Inspection Service
9 CFR Chapter III
[Docket No. APHIS-2020-0079]
RIN 0579-AE60
Regulation of the Movement of Animals Modified or Developed by
Genetic Engineering
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of
Agriculture (USDA); Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking; reopening of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: We are reopening the comment period for our advance notice of
proposed rulemaking on establishing regulations for the movement of
certain animals modified or developed by genetic engineering. This
action will allow interested persons additional time to prepare and
submit comments.
DATES: The comment period for the advance notice of proposed rulemaking
published on December 28, 2020 (85 FR 84269) is reopened. We will
consider all comments that we receive on or before May 7, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov.
Enter APHIS-2020-0079 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab,
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
Docket No. APHIS-2020-0079, 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 regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located
in Room 1620 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: Dr. Alan Pearson, Assistant Deputy
Administrator, Biotechnology Regulatory Services; APHIS, 4700 River
Road, Unit 98, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238; (301) 851-3944;
[email protected]. Dr. Kis Robertson Hale, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, Office of Public Health Science, USDA Food Safety and
Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 341-E. Whitten
Building; (202) 720-4819; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 28, 2020, we published in the
Federal Register (85 FR 84269-84275, Docket No. APHIS-2020-0079) an
advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) on establishing
regulations for the movement of certain animals modified or developed
by genetic engineering. As outlined in the ANPR, the United States
Department of Agriculture would promulgate regulations using the
authorities granted to the Department through the Animal Health
Protection Act, the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), and the Poultry
Products Inspection Act (PPIA). Pursuant to these authorities, the
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service would conduct a safety
assessment of animals subject to the FMIA or PPIA that have been
modified or developed using genetic engineering that may increase the
animal's susceptibility to pests or diseases of livestock, including
zoonotic diseases, or ability to transmit the same. The Food Safety and
Inspection Service would conduct a pre-slaughter food safety assessment
to ensure that the slaughter and processing of certain animals modified
or developed using genetic engineering would not result in a product
that is adulterated or misbranded.
[[Page 13222]]
Comments on the ANPR were required to be received on or before
February 26, 2021. We are reopening the comment period on Docket No.
APHIS-2020-0079 for an additional 60 days. The comment period will now
close on May 7, 2021. 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 2nd day of March 2021 .
Heather Pichelman,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
Paul Kiecker,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Office for Food Safety.
[FR Doc. 2021-04716 Filed 3-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P