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National Animal Identification System - Frequently
Asked Questions
Information Storage and Access
Who will
have access to information in the national animal identification
databases?
As part of the NAIS, Federal, State, and Tribal animal
health and public health officials will have access
to the information repositories when they need data
to administer animal health programs at the state and
national level. For example, they may access the database
if a USDA program disease—such as tuberculosis
or brucellosis—or a suspected foreign animal disease
is reported and requires an epidemiological investigation.
They may also access the database during emergency response
simulations.
What is being done to
ensure the privacy of ranchers' and farmers' records?
Will information collected for the NAIS be exempted
from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
USDA recognizes the concerns about the confidentiality
of this information and is working on options to allay
these concerns. At the same time, it is important to
keep in mind that the national information repositories
will only include information for animal and disease
tracking purposes. Proprietary production data will
remain in private databases. FOIA can be used to obtain
information from a Federal agency when that agency has
custody and control of a record. USDA is very much aware
of producers' concerns about the confidentiality of
information collected as part of the NAIS and is taking
them very seriously as officials explore the most effective
means for collecting animal identification information.
Accordingly, USDA is pursuing various options for appropriately
protecting the information in the NAIS from public disclosure.
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