REPORT ON RATS, MICE, AND BIRDS.

SEC. 10304. REPORT ON RATS, MICE, AND BIRDS. (a) In General.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Research Council shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, a report on the implications of including rats, mice, and birds within the definition of animal under the regulations promulgated under the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. 2131 et seq.). (b) Requirements.—The report under subsection (a) shall— (1) be completed with input, consultation, and recommendations from— (A) the Secretary of Agriculture; (B) the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and (C) the Institute for Animal Laboratory Research within the National Academy of Sciences; (2) contain an estimate of— (A) the number and types of entities that use rats, mice, and birds for research purposes; and (B) which of the entities— (i)are subject to regulations of the Department of Agriculture; (ii)are subject to regulations or guidelines of the Department of Health and Human Services; or116 STAT. 493 (iii)voluntarily comply with the accreditation requirements of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care; (3) contain an estimate of the numbers of rats, mice, and birds used in research facilities, with an indication of which of the facilities— (A) are subject to regulations of the Department of Agriculture; (B) are subject to regulations or guidelines of the Department of Health and Human Services; or (C) voluntarily comply with the accreditation requirements of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care; (4) contain an estimate of the additional costs likely to be incurred by breeders and research facilities resulting from the additional regulatory requirements needed in order to afford the same level of protection to rats, mice, and birds as is provided for species regulated by the Department of Agriculture, detailing the costs associated with individual regulatory requirements; (5) contain recommendations for minimizing such costs, including— (A) an estimate of the cost savings that would result from providing a different level of protection to rats, mice, and birds than is provided for species regulated by the Department of Agriculture; and (B) an estimate of the cost savings that would result if new regulatory requirements were substantially equivalent to, and harmonized with, guidelines of the National Institutes of Health; (6) contain an estimate of the additional funding that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service would require to be able to ensure that the level of compliance with respect to other regulated animals is not diminished by the increase in the number of facilities that would require inspections if a rule extending the regulatory definition of animal to rats, mice, and birds were to become effective; and (7) contain recommendations for— (A) minimizing the regulatory burden on facilities subject to— (i)regulations of the Department of Agriculture; (ii)regulations or guidelines of the Department of Health and Human Services; or (iii)accreditation requirements of the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care; and (B) preventing any duplication of regulatory requirements.