In the September 10, 2015, Federal Register, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ("APHIS") proposed to amend regulations regarding scrapie, a degenerative and eventually fatal disease affecting the central nervous systems of sheep and goats, by, among others: (i) changing the risk groups and categories established for individual animals and flocks, (ii) increasing the use of genetic testing as a means of assigning risk levels to animals, (iii) reducing movement restrictions for animals found to be genetically less susceptible or resistant to scrapie, and (iv) simplifying, reducing, or removing certain recordkeeping requirements. These changes would affect sheep and goat producers, persons who handle sheep and goats in interstate commerce, and state governments. Comments are due November 9, 2015.
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