National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act

The National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act (H.R. 1254) would require the Department of Agriculture to create a nationwide electronic tracking system for all livestock born in or imported into the United States. The system is designed to allow officials to trace an animal’s history from birth to slaughter within 48 hours in the event of a livestock disease outbreak.

For citizens, this bill aims to improve food safety and protect the agricultural economy by enabling a faster government response to contagious animal diseases. While the bill mandates the collection of detailed data on livestock commerce, it includes provisions to keep specific producer information private and exempt from public disclosure requests.