Federal Register #APHIS-2026-0067

APHIS proposes revisions to Horse Protection Act regulations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proposing revisions to Horse Protection Act regulations. - Buyer: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). - Proposed regulatory changes: - Remove provisions of a prior rule vacated by court order and withdraw its remaining non-vacated provisions. - Revise training and licensing certification requirements for designated qualified persons (DQPs), and strengthen DQP inspection procedures. - Improve the process for appealing APHIS inspections before possible management disqualification. - Clarify that a horse found to be sore is disqualified from the class in which it was inspected, not the entire event. - No products, services, quantities, part numbers, OEMs, or vendors are identified; this is not a procurement opportunity.

Description

APHIS proposes to remove provisions of its May 2024 Horse Protection final rule vacated by court order and withdraw the remaining non-vacated provisions. The proposed rule would revise regulations under the Horse Protection Act to better ensure due process and align with the Act. Changes include revising training and licensing certification requirements for designated qualified persons, enhancing inspection procedures and the process for appealing APHIS inspections, and clarifying that a horse determined to be sore is disqualified from the class where it was inspected rather than the entire event.

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