GW Law Library: Library Guides: Animal Law: Regulations & Policy/Guidance

Federal Register (Fed. Reg.)

Federal Register
The Federal Register (Fed. Reg.) is the official publication for notifying the public of proposed regulations, temporary and final regulations, notices of federal agencies, presidential executive orders and other presidential documents, and other documents required to be published by law. It is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays, by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.

Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.)

Code of Federal Regulations
The Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.), printed once a year on a staggered basis, is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by federal executive departments and agencies. It contains all federal regulations currently in force and is organized into 50 numbered titles that represent broad areas of federal regulation.

Title 7 C.F.R. contains animal welfare regulations.
Title 9 C.F.R. contains animals and animal products regulations.
Title 50 C.F.R. contains wildlife and fisheries regulations.

e-CFR
"The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a currently updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It is not an official legal edition of the CFR."
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The e-CFR is an editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments produced by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Publishing Office. The material in the e-CFR is updated on a daily basis, although not in real-time. You can find how current the material is at the top of all e-CFR web pages. Generally, the e-CFR is current within two business days. While every effort is made to ensure that the material on the eCFR is accurate, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against the most current official edition of the C.F.R.
Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations (The Blue Book) (July 2023)
Consolidates into one source the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the applicable regulations and standards.
Note: For the most current information, check the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)'s website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/home/
Animal Welfare Act Historical Digital Collection (AWAHDC)
Contains publications related to the Animal Welfare Act which fall into three categories: legislative history, regulatory history, and USDA publications.

Regulatory History

Regulations.gov
Portal for federal rulemaking dockets. A docket is a collection of documents relating to a regulation and made available by an agency for public viewing.
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Documents include written opinions by a member of the public, organization or industry to a government agency about a rulemaking or other action. Coverage is 2002 to date. However, data by agency can vary depending on when the agency became a participating member of Regulations.gov.

Tip: Use the "Docket ID number" (unique identifier established for a docket) to locate documents related to a rulemaking. Docket IDs are listed in the preambles to proposed and final rules found in the "Federal Register."

The format of the docket ID identifies the government agency, program office, and year associated with the docket.

Example: EPA-HQ-SFUND-2008-0001 would show that the docket is maintained by EPA, at the Headquarters Office, Superfund program, and was started in 2008.

Each document is also given a unique ID number when it is placed in a docket. The docket folder may contain: one or more Federal Register documents (proposed & final rules and notices); materials specifically referenced in those documents; public comments; applications, petitions or adjudication documents; and other documents used by decision makers.

Documents not included: confidential business information, copyright-protected materials, over-sized items, large data sets or databases, information whose disclosure is restricted by statute, public laws, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), and state, local, and tribal regulations.
EPA Docket Center
Prior to 2003, EPA docket materials can be found through EPA's Docket Center.
Reginfo.gov
Provides current agency regulatory actions and information; Includes the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions which includes information on the development of a regulation as well as anticipated future action.
Federal Register (Fed. Reg.)
Summaries of comments submitted by public relating to a regulation may be found in the "preamble/supplementary" sections of proposed and final regulations.

Publications, Forms & Guidance Documents

U.S. Department of Agriculture. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) :

Animal Welfare and Horse Protection Actions
Provides access to APHIS’s Official Warnings-Notice of Alleged Violation (7060), Settlement Agreements, Administrative Complaints and Decisions and Orders from the Office of the Administrative Law Judges and the Office of the Judicial Officer.
Animal Care Public Search Tool
Provides a list of persons licensed and registered under the AWA, inspection reports, and research facility animal use annual reports.

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Fisheries:

Marine Mammal Protection Act Policies, Guidance, and Regulations

U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Guidance Documents
Centralized Library of Servicewide Policies & Guidance
Search the service manual, policies, orders, and memos.

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