USDA Issues Amendments To Animal Welfare Act Licensing Regulations

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published final amendments to the regulations governing the licensing of animal dealers, exhibitors and operators of auction sales under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), 7 U.S.C. § 2131 et seq.

Among the more notable features of the amendments to the licensing regulations are the following:

• Existing licensees will no longer be able to renew a license annually by certifying compliance with the AWA. Instead, all licenses will be issued for a period of 3 years, and, at the end of that period, the licensee will have to apply for a new license and demonstrate AWA compliance through a prelicensing inspection by the agency.