Summary

GAO reviewed ther Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) new rule on Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, minimal-risk regions, and importation of live bovines and products derived from bovines. GAO found that (1) the final rule establishes conditions for the importation of certain commodities from regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the United States, live bovines for any use born on or after a date determined by APHIS to be the date of effective enforcement of a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban in the region of the export, blood and blood products derived from bovines, casings and part of the small intestine derived from bovines, and also removes the delay of applicability of certain provisions of a final rule APHIS published in January 2005; and (2) APHIS complied with applicable requirements in promulgating the rule.