APHIS to Require Electronic ID for Certain Cattle and Bison Moving Interstate

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The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will require electronic ID for certain cattle and bison moving interstate to help quickly pinpoint and respond to costly foreign animal diseases. This will enhance the ability to limit the impacts of animal disease outbreaks to certain regions, which is the key to maintaining foreign markets.

Traceability of animals is necessary to establish these disease-free zones and facilitate the reestablishment of foreign and domestic market access with minimum delay in the wake of an animal disease event. The USDA is committed to implementing a modern animal disease traceability system that tracks animals from birth to slaughter.

USDA will provide tags to producers free of charge to jumpstart efforts to enable the fastest possible response to a foreign animal disease. This rule will be effective 180 days after publication in the Federal Register.