Animal Welfare; Definition of Animal

We are amending the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations to reflect an amendment to the Act's definition of the term animal. The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 amended the definition of animal to specifically exclude birds, rats of the genus Rattus, and mice of the genus Mus, bred for use in research. While the definition of animal in the regulations has excluded rats of the genus Rattus and mice of the genus Mus bred for use in research, that definition has also excluded all birds (i.e., not just those birds bred for use in research). To make the definition of animal in the regulations consistent with the definition of animal in the AWA, this final rule amends the regulations by narrowing the scope of the exclusion for birds to only those birds bred for use in research. This final rule is intended only to make the definition of animal in the regulations consistent with the definition of animal in AWA. In the Proposed Rules section of today's Federal Register, we are publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in which we solicit comments from the public to aid in the development of regulations and standards for birds not specifically bred for use in research. In addition, our advance notice of proposed rulemaking also requests public comment on issues related to the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of rats and mice covered by the AWA.