Cattle and bison. The Administrator may authorize the payment of Federal indemnity by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to any owner whose cattle or bison are destroyed after having been approved for destruction by APHIS under the brucellosis eradication program. 3 In all cases, the amount of Federal indemnity will be determined in accordance with the regulations in this part that were in effect on the date that reactors were found or the date that whole-herd depopulation or destruction of individual animals was approved. Prior to payment of indemnity, proof of destruction 4 must be furnished to the Veterinarian in Charge.

3 The Administrator shall authorize payment of Federal indemnity by the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the maximum per-head rates in § 51.3: (a) As long as sufficient funds appropriated by Congress appear to be available for this purpose for the remainder of the fiscal year; (b) in States or areas not under Federal quarantine; (c) in States requesting payment of Federal indemnity; and (d) in States not requesting a lower rate.

4 The Veterinarian in Charge shall accept any of the following documents as proof of destruction: (a) A postmortem report; (b) a meat inspection certification of slaughter; (c) a written statement by a State representative, APHIS representative, or accredited veterinarian attesting to the destruction of the animal; (d) a written, sworn statement by the owner or caretaker of the animal attesting to the destruction of the animal; (e) a permit (VS Form 1-27) consigning the animal from a farm or livestock market directly to a recognized slaughtering establishment; or (f) in unique situations where the documents listed above are not available, other similarly reliable forms of proof of destruction.

Eligibility for indemnity. Owners of the following types of animals destroyed because of brucellosis are eligible to receive Federal indemnity for their animals:

Cattle and bison identified as reactors as a result of a complete herd test and any sexually intact exposed female calves;

Cattle and bison in a herd that has been approved for depopulation; and

Brucellosis-exposed cattle and brucellosis-exposed bison that were previously sold or traded from any herd that was, subsequent to the sale or trade, found to be affected with brucellosis. Epidemiological information such as test results, herd history, and related evidence will be used to establish a probable date when the herd was first affected with brucellosis. Animals sold after that date will be considered to be exposed; those sold before that date will not.

Maximum per-head indemnity amounts. Owners of the types of animals described in § 51.3(a)(1) are eligible to receive Federal indemnity for their animals in the following amounts:

Brucellosis reactors and sexually intact exposed female calves. Except for brucellosis reactors and sexually intact exposed female calves destroyed as part of a whole-herd depopulation, the indemnity for cattle and bison that are brucellosis reactors shall not exceed $250 for any registered cattle and nonregistered dairy cattle or $50 for any bison or nonregistered cattle other than dairy cattle, and the indemnity for sexually intact exposed female calves shall not exceed $50.

Herd depopulations and individual exposed animals. Owners of herds that have been approved for depopulation and owners of brucellosis-exposed cattle and brucellosis-exposed bison that meet the conditions of § 51.3 (a)(1)(iii) may choose either of the two methods described in paragraphs (a)(2)(ii)(A) and (a)(2)(ii)(B) of this section, involving fair market value of the animal to be destroyed or a fixed rate, for determining the maximum amounts of indemnity they may receive. 3 The method chosen must be used for all animals to be destroyed. Owners have the option of having an appraisal done prior to choosing the method used. Appraisals will be conducted by an independent appraiser selected by the Administrator. The cost of the appraisals will be borne by APHIS.

Appraisal method. Each eligible animal will be appraised to determine its fair market value. The indemnity shall be the appraised value, minus the salvage value.

Fixed-rate method. The indemnity shall not exceed $250 per animal for bison and nonregistered cattle other than dairy cattle and $750 per animal for registered cattle and nonregistered dairy cattle.

Swine—(1) Brucellosis reactor swine. The Administrator may authorize 3 the payment of Federal indemnity by the United States Department of Agriculture to an owner whose breeding swine are destroyed as brucellosis reactors. The indemnity shall not exceed $25 per head for registered, inbred, or hybrid swine, or $10 per head for all other breeding swine. Prior to payment of indemnity, proof of destruction 4 shall be furnished to the Veterinarian in Charge.

Herd depopulation. The Administrator may authorize 3 the payment of Federal indemnity by the United States Department of Agriculture to an owner whose herd of breeding swine or whose whole herd is destroyed because of brucellosis. The indemnity shall not exceed $150 per head for registered, inbred, or hybrid breeding swine, and $65 per head for all other breeding swine, except that in the case of whole herd depopulation, indemnity payments shall be paid on all swine in the herd at fair market value, as determined by the Administrator, based on an appraisal conducted by an independent appraiser assigned by the Administrator. In cases where indemnity is paid for whole herd depopulation, indemnity payments, plus any salvage, must not exceed the appraised value of each animal. Indemnity payment shall be made only for brucellosis exposed swine or for swine from a herd known to be affected and only when the Administrator determines that the destruction of all swine in the herd will contribute to the Brucellosis Eradication Program. Prior to payment of indemnity, proof of destruction 4 shall be furnished to the Veterinarian in Charge.

Exposed swine. The Administrator may authorize 3 the payment of Federal indemnity by the United States Department of Agriculture to an owner whose breeding swine are destroyed because of brucellosis. The indemnity shall not exceed $150 per head for registered, inbred, or hybrid swine, or $65 per head for all other breeding swine. Indemnity payment shall be made only for such brucellosis exposed swine and only when the Administrator determines that the destruction of such swine will contribute to the Brucellosis Eradication Program. Prior to payment of indemnity, proof of destruction 4 shall be furnished to the Veterinarian in Charge.

For Federal Register citations affecting § 51.3, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.