Tuberculosis in Cattle, Bison, and Captive Cervids; Indemnity for Suspects

We are amending the regulations concerning animals destroyed because of tuberculosis to provide for the payment of Federal indemnity to owners of cattle, bison, and captive cervids that have been classified as suspects for tuberculosis and have been destroyed, when it has been determined by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that the destruction of the suspect animals will contribute to the tuberculosis eradication program in U.S. livestock. We are also amending the regulations to allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay herd owners some of their expenses for transporting the suspect cattle, bison, and captive cervids to slaughter or to the point of disposal, and for disposing of the animals. Prior to this interim rule, owners of cattle, bison, and captive cervids could only receive Federal indemnity for affected and exposed animals destroyed because of tuberculosis, and animals in an affected herd destroyed as part of a herd depopulation. Indemnity for suspects will provide incentive for owners to promptly destroy suspect animals, thereby hastening the diagnosis of tuberculosis in a herd. This interim rule is necessary to ensure continued progress toward eradicating tuberculosis in U.S. livestock.