Horse Protection Amendments

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 9 CFR Part 11 [Docket No. APHIS-2022-0004] RIN 0579-AE70 AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: We are amending the horse protection regulations to provide that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will screen, train, and authorize qualified persons for appointment by the management of any horse show, horse exhibition, or horse sale or auction to detect and diagnose soring at such events for the purposes of enforcing the Horse Protection Act. These and other regulatory amendments will strengthen the Agency's efforts to protect horses from the cruel and inhumane practice of soring as the Act requires and by so doing eliminate unfair competition. DATES: This rule is effective on February 1, 2025, except for § 11.19, which is effective June 7, 2024. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Aaron Rhyner, DVM, Assistant Director, USDA-APHIS-Animal Care, 2150 Centre Ave., Building B, Mailstop 3W11, Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117; horseprotection@usda.gov ; (970) 494-7484. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Under the Horse Protection Act (HPA, or the Act, 15 U.S.C. 1821 et seq. ), the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to promulgate regulations to prohibit the movement, showing, exhibition, or sale of sore horses. The Secretary has delegated responsibility for administering the Act to the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USD…