Animal Committees at research facilities to inspect periodi- 

 cally all animal study areas and to review research practices 

 and the condition of research animals. 



On 21 March 1987, the Department of Agriculture's Animal 

 and Plant Health Inspection Service published proposed regula- 

 tions to implement the 1985 amendments and to update the 

 existing Animal Welfare Act regulations. On 10 August 1987, 

 the Commission, in consultation with its Committee of Scientific 

 Advisors, provided detailed comments to the Service on the 

 proposed regulations. Among its primary concerns, the Commis- 

 sion noted that the definition of "research facility" contained 

 in the statute and the proposed regulations created some 

 ambiguity with respect to what facilities and what activities 

 come within the scope of the regulations. The Commission 

 recommended that the Service clarify the definition and sug- 

 gested that the substantive requirements of the regulations 

 should apply to all "federally funded research on marine 

 mammals and other animals or any research which involves the 

 purchase or transport of live animals in commerce." The 

 Commission further recommended that field research, not of a 

 biomedical nature and involving little or no pain and distress 

 in the subject animals, should be exempted from the regulatory 

 provisions. At the close of 1987, final regulations had not 

 been issued. 



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