in-20250604-IR-345250279PHA: Notice of Public Hearing — 345 IAC (LSA #250279)

TITLE 345 INDIANA STATE BOARD OF ANIMAL HEALTH Notice of Public Hearing LSA Document #25-279 Under IC 4-22-2-23, notice is hereby given that on July 22, 2025, at 9:50 a.m., at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 1202 East 38th Street, Discovery Hall, Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) will hold a public hearing on updating the animal health and animal care rules at 345 IAC 1, 345 IAC 2, 345 IAC 2.5, 345 IAC 5, and 345 IAC 13. The proposed rule will amend the animal health rules to align with definitions and requirements in 9 CFR 86.1. These amendments include requiring official eartags for cattle and bison to be readable both visually and electronically. It requires a person that distributes official identification devices to enter the records into an approved database. It requires that records of official identification applied to animals by accredited veterinarians, licensed livestock markets, or licensed livestock dealers be kept in a readily accessible record system, and sets forth standards for BOAH to access the records. The proposed rule amends requirements for cattle to move into the state, or intrastate, from a slaughter establishment in a way that is considered within slaughter channels in the federal regulations at 9 CFR 86.4 and 9 CFR 86.5. It requires a laboratory to report a positive diagnosis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) for all species. It allows an 840 microchip as official ID for reindeer in the USDA chronic wasting diseases herd certification program. It aligns the individuals authorized to collect samples for Johne’s disease in cattle with the applicable USDA standards. It repeals the tuberculosis testing requirement for intrastate movement of cervids. It updates the incorporation by reference of the USDA National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) regulations. It clarifies that the identification requirement for wethers moving to an exhibition also applies to animals moving into the state. The rule also makes changes to the commercial dog breeder and broker rule to align with amendments made to IC 15-21 in the 2024 legislative session. The purpose of this hearing is to receive comments from the public prior to consideration of adoption of these rules by BOAH. All interested persons are invited and will be given reasonable opportunity to express their views concerning the proposed amendments. If BOAH does not receive substantive comments during the public comment period or public hearing, the rule may be adopted with text that is the same as or does not substantially differ from the proposed rule. The public may attend the BOAH meeting in person or join virtually at https://www.in.gov/boah/current-information/board-meeting-information/. Copies of these rules are now on file at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 1202 East 38th Street, Discovery Hall, Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana and are open for public inspection and copying. Notice of First Public Comment Period: 20250604-IR-345250279FNA