Hello VT Agency of Agriculture blog readers

About once a week someone from state.vt.us drops by my blog. Hello! Welcome! Hope you read all my posts.

Just so you, Mr or Mrs State.VT.US, know, the NAIS was affected in the recent Appropriations Bill.

Bill Language from the House Agriculture Appropriations Bill (passed full House 5/23/06):

"none of the funds appropriated under this heading for the National Animal Identification program may be obligated until the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives receives from the Secretary a complete and detailed plan for the National Animal Identification System, including, but not limited to, proposed legislative changes, cost estimates, and means of program evaluation, and such plan is published as an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register for comment by interested parties"

Report Language from the House Agriculture Appropriations Bill (passed full House 5/23/06):

"Animal Identification.-Through fiscal year 2006, a total of $84,700,000 has been provided for a National Animal Identification System. Of that amount, approximately $27,000,000 has been used for cooperative agreements with states and Tribes to assist in registration. The fiscal year 2007 request is for $33,107,000. Until August 2005, the Department had stated that program data would be held centrally; however, the Secretary announced in August that data would be held by private entities that meet certain requirements. In addition, the program is voluntary, but there have been mixed signals about participation becoming mandatory in the future. At least one state has made data collection compulsory, and states have the discretion to charge fees for registration. Given these management challenges, and the fact that just 10 percent of the premises have been registered, the Committee has concerns about the program. Premises identification is a necessary building block, but in itself does not offer any means of animal traceback. The Committee feels that all interested parties would benefit from a transparent (oh, Mr. Kerr, there's that pesky word again) process of decision making on the national plans for animal identification and therefore requires that the Secretary use an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to state the Administration's plans for animal identification, and to solicit feedback from all interested parties."

Representative Ron Paul's Amendment: This failed though the wording in the Appropriations Bill (above) does stall the issue.

15.H.AMDT.885 to H.R.5384
Title: An amendment numbered 4 printed in the Congressional Record to prohibit the use of funds from being made available to implement or administer the National Animal Identification System.
Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [R-TX-14] (introduced 5/23/2006) Cosponsors: (none)
Latest Major Action: 5/23/2006 House amendment not agreed to. Status: On agreeing to the Paul amendment (A015) Failed by recorded vote: 34 - 389 (Roll no. 184)

Hen