SOT is a member of the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) and we are forwarding a recent communication from this organization regarding support of the Enforcement Transparency Act.
Congress Introduces Bill to Encourage USDA Transparency
After hearing concerns from the biomedical research community, Congressman Rod Blum (R-IA) has introduced H.R. 3136, the Enforcement Transparency Act (ETA).
This legislation would require the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release the guidelines used in the formulation of any civil penalties for violations of the Animal Welfare Act. At present, requests under the Freedom of Information Act for the penalty guidelines worksheet used by Investigative and Enforcement Services (IES) at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have been denied. Furthermore, Congressional requests to the department for such information also have been ignored. H.R. 3136 will provide the research community and the public a much greater understanding of how fines are calculated for enforcement actions by USDA.
Please contact your Congressman today and urge him or her to cosponsor and support this common-sense legislation. Click here to use NABR's easy-to-use Capwiz system to send an email directly to their office or click here to locate your representative.