USDA Documents

USDA's Cost-Benefit Analysis Overview (April 2009): This 30-page overview is USDA's summary of its 400+ page cost-benefit analysis, available on the USDA website.  FARFA will provide a critique of the analysis as soon as possible.

USDA memo (Dec. 2008): This memo mandates premises registration anytime VS personnel perform an activity under a federal disease control program on their property, including vaccinations.  It states that it revokes the September 2008 memo, but it does not do so completely (for a copy of the September memo, contact our office)

Business Plan (NEW version, released September 2008)

User Guide (Updated Dec. 2007)

Program Standards and Technical Reference (Updated Oct. 2007)

Cooperative Agreement Funding Announcement (June 2007): USDA's announcement of what states need to do to get federal money for implementing NAIS.

Implementation Plan (April 2006): Although USDA has stated that this document has been superseded, it shows USDA's failure to respond to producers' objections in any meaningful way.

Draft Strategic Plan (May 2005): Although USDA has stated that this document has been superseded, it is critical to understanding USDA and industry's vision for NAIS.

FARFA's Comments to Agencies and Congress

Comments to Secretary Vilsack at NAIS Roundtable, April 15, 2009

Letter to Secretary Vilsack, calling for withdrawal of USDA's proposed NAIS premises registration rule, signed by 72 organizations.

Comments on Proposed Rule to Mandate Premises Registration (Feb. 2009)

FOIA request for cost-benefit analysis (Jan. 2009)

Letter to Texas Animal Health Commission on re-activation of working group (Nov. 2008)

Letter to U.S. House Committee on Appropriations (with 65 signatory organizations) (July 2008)

Comments submitted on USDA Privacy Act Notice (May 2008)

Comments submitted on proposed Texas regulation for tagging dairy cattle (July 2007)

Comments submitted on USDA User Guide (Jan. 2007)

Comments submitted to Texas Sunset Commission (Sept. 2006)

Other

Report of the U.S. Animal Health Association (October 2006): Interesting tidbits about the technology have been highlighted. The USAHA's recommendation that USDA adopt an "interim rule" barring interstate commerce from states that do not have mandatory cattle ID for all breeding cattle is also highlighted, on page 14.

Texas Animal Health Commission's 2007 Work Plan for NAIS.  We have additional documents relating to the TAHC's Cooperative Agreement with USDA, but they are too large to post on our server.  Please contact us if you would like a copy.