US SHIP Program Standards (DEC 2024)

OMB Approved 0579-XXXX, Exp. XX/XXXX­­

United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Veterinary Services

December 2024

THE UNITED STATES SWINE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROGRAM STANDARDS

December 2024

Paperwork Reduction Act Disclosure

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0579-XXXX. The time required to complete the activities in the information collection is estimated to average 7 minutes to 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden statement or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to APHIS.PRA@usda.gov.

PROGRAM STANDARDS OF THE UNITED STATES SWINE HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PLAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page	Section
Page 4	Introduction
Page 4	Overview
Page 6	Definitions

Standard A – Enrollment

Page 9	1	Enrollment
Page 9	2	Premises Location
Page 9	3	Premises Level Information
Page 9	4	Minimum Required Demographic Information
Page 9	5	Premises Verification
Page 10	6	Private Veterinary Services Provider
Page 10	8	Participant Data Recordkeeping

Standard B – Certification

Page 10	1	Certification
Page 10	2	Certification Programs
Page 10	3	Components of Certification
Page 11	4	Maintenance of Certification

Standard C – Biosecurity Principles

Page 11	1	Biosecurity Plan
Page 11	2	Personnel
Page 11	3	Feed
Page 12	4	New Site Additions
Page 12	5	Reporting of Elevated Morbidity and Mortality
Page 12	6	Maintenance of Certification – Biosecurity Principles

Standard D – Live Animal Movement

Page 13	1	Swine Movement
Page 13	2	Semen Movement
Page 13	3	Animal Identification
Page 13	4	Maintenance of Certification – Live Animal Movement

Standard E – Sampling and Testing

Page 14	1	Overview
Page 14	2	Specimen Types and Submission
Page 14	3	Authorized Laboratories
Page 14	4	Maintenance of Certification – Sample Types and Testing

Standard F – Administrative

Page 15

1

Official State Delegates

Appendix 1. ASF/CSF Risk Level Chart

Introduction

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) is a disease surveillance and certification program for the U.S. swine industry. US SHIP is a cooperative Federal-State-industry initiative to establish and certify biosecurity standards, traceability requirements, and disease surveillance activities for participants. US SHIP is designed to improve the overall health of swine in the United States, expand surveillance to monitor for disease, and increase the traceability of swine in the United States to advance our trade goals and improve marketability of U.S. live swine and pork products.

As the United States has a robust and diverse swine industry, US SHIP is framed to include and accommodate the various sectors that comprise the swine industry sphere. U.S. swine producers, exhibiters, live animal marketers, and slaughter establishments in participating States that meet specified program requirements of US SHIP can enroll in the program on a voluntary basis. US SHIP applicants are enrolled according to their premises type, with participation standards appropriate to their premises category.

All US SHIP participants must meet foundational biosecurity, traceability, and disease surveillance standards to be certified for herd management and health status. The central biosecurity principles enable participants to be certified based on standardized herd management practices, regardless of their operation’s size or layout. Traceability standards ensure that live swine and products from participating premises can more effectively be traced to their farm of origin. Disease surveillance standards establish mechanisms to monitor disease status on participating premises and provide additional assurances about the health status of swine from participating sites.

US SHIP is intended to work in concert with USDA’s existing disease surveillance and response plans. In the event of an African swine fever (ASF) or classical swine fever (CSF) outbreak in the United States, the requirements for premises in Control Areas or Surveillance Zones included in USDA’s Red Books and other response documentation would prevail over the US SHIP requirements. However, for premises located outside of these zones, the US SHIP program provides additional assurances to stakeholders who may receive swine or pork products into facilities, States, or importing countries.

Overview

US SHIP is a cooperative Federal-State-industry initiative. APHIS administers the US SHIP program nationally through the Swine Health Commodity team, housed within the Veterinary Services Aquaculture, Swine, Poultry, and Equine Health Center. Official State Agencies (OSAs) will administer the program locally. APHIS recognizes the OSA as the cooperating State authority with responsibility for enforcement of swine health regulations in a State; OSA functions may be executed cooperatively by a State Animal Health authority and a delegated entity.

OSAs enroll and certify participants in US SHIP. Each OSA must implement US SHIP in accordance with the applicable Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR Part 149) and any relevant US SHIP Program Standards. Participating States can adopt and follow additional State-specific swine health related requirements that extend beyond the national standards, in accordance with their State’s animal health administrative rules. Each OSA will work with its respective swine industry association(s) and involved stakeholders to determine an operating and personnel reporting structure that works best for its unique needs.

The US SHIP General Conference Committee (GCC) provides US SHIP industry representation and input. The GCC consists of a group of individuals who are elected at the US SHIP House of Delegates meeting. The GCC serves as a Federal advisory committee (consistent with Federal Advisory Committee Act procedures) to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on matters pertaining to swine health.

The national administration of the program also relies on Technical Committees to review and clarify new standards that US SHIP stakeholders propose based on industry and regulatory interests around the certification program. These committees consist of a diverse group of subject matter experts from across the United States. In some cases, these committees may craft proposed updates to US SHIP.

Potential changes to the Program Standards are voted on at the Plan’s House of Delegates meetings and may then be presented to USDA for consideration and adoption. The Program Standards enable timely and effective updates to testing procedures to accommodate scientific advancements which may increase the reliability, efficiency, and/or accuracy of diagnostic tests available. Similarly, biosecurity practices to prevent the introduction or spread of disease in swine herds may evolve, as more information becomes available about sources of infection and about the effectiveness of various means of preventing infection. Such flexibility in Program Standards updates allows US SHIP participants to use the latest APHIS-approved testing technology and follow the most effective biosecurity practices.

US SHIP is a developing program. The language in these Program Standards is intentionally designed to allow the Federal-State-industry partnership to collaborate on the revision and generation of new protocols and processes as the program matures.

Definitions

Many of these defined terms are included in 9 CFR Part 149; these terms are included in the Program Standards for accessibility during utilization of the document.

Accredited veterinarian	A veterinarian approved by the APHIS Administrator to perform functions required by cooperative State–Federal–Industry animal disease control and eradication programs.
Administrator	The Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or any person authorized to act for the Administrator.
African swine fever (ASF)	A highly contagious viral hemorrhagic disease caused by a large, enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus of the family Asfarviridae and genus Asfivirus that affects animals in the family Suidae, including domestic pigs, feral pigs, and Eurasian wild boar.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)	The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Authorized agent	Any person designated under § 148.10 to collect official samples for submission to an authorized laboratory in accordance with § 148.10
Authorized laboratory	A laboratory that meets the requirements of § 148.11 and is thus qualified to perform assays in accordance with this part.
Boar stud	A swine production site with mature boars that distribute semen to other swine production sites.
Breeding swine herd	A swine production site with ≥1,000 breeding females (gilts and/or sows).
Classical swine fever (CSF)	A highly contagious viral septicemia, caused by a small, enveloped RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae and genus Pestivirus, that affects animals in the family Suidae, including domestic pigs, feral pigs, and Eurasian wild boar.
Commercial production swine	Those swine that are continuously managed and have adequate facilities and practices to prevent exposure to higher-risk swine, feral swine, or swine that are managed in facilities with limited, no, or inconsistently applied biosecurity procedures.
Department	The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Deputy Administrator	The Deputy Administrator, Veterinary Services, APHIS, USDA, or any other Veterinary Services official to whom authority has been delegated to act in their stead.
Equivalent or equivalent requirements	Requirements which are equal to or exceed the program, conditions, criteria, or classifications with which they are compared, as determined by the Official State Agency and with the concurrence of APHIS.
Farm (or Herd) of origin	A farm where swine were born or on which they have resided for at least 30 consecutive days immediately before movement.
Farrow to feeder/finisher swine herd	A swine production site with breeding females (gilts and/or sows) and grow feeder swine for purposes other than breeding stock replacement for this particular farm site, and housing ≥1,000 breeder or feeder swine.
Feral swine	Free-roaming swine.
Garbage	All waste material derived in whole or in part from the meat of any animal (including fish and poultry) or other animal material, and other refuse of any character whatsoever that has been associated with any such material, resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking or consumption of food, except that such term shall not include waste from ordinary household operations which is fed directly to swine on the same premises where such household is located.
Growing swine herd	A swine production site with ≥1,000 feeder swine (nursery, grower, or finisher).
Interstate	From any State into or through any other State.
Intrastate	Within a State.
Live animal marketing operation	A dealer with a livestock yard/buying facility that markets swine for resale of such swine to slaughter facilities.
Memorandum of understanding (MOU)	A formal agreement between two or more entities that provides for conducting certain activities under specifically defined conditions.
National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN):	The NAHLN is a nationally coordinated network and partnership of primarily Federal, State, and university-associated animal health laboratories that provide animal health diagnostic testing, methods research and development, and expertise for education and extension to detect biological threats to the nation's animal agriculture, thus protecting animal health, public health, and the nation's food supply.
Non-commercial swine herd	A swine production site with <100 breeding swine (gilts, boars, and/or sows) or feeder swine.
Official identification device or method	A means approved by the Administrator of applying an official identification number to an animal of a specific species or associating an official identification number with an animal or group of animals of a specific species.
Official State Agency	The State veterinary authority recognized by the Department to cooperate in administration of the Plan.
Participant	The US SHIP participant is either the swine owner or an entity that has a managerial responsibility for the swine or the premises being enrolled in US SHIP.
Premises	A geographic parcel of land with a valid 911 address. All structures on the parcel of land are part of the premises. A premises is identified by an assigned premises identification number (PIN).
Premises Identification Number (PIN)	An alphanumeric identifier, determined by the USDA National Allocator, assigned to a premises.
Slaughtering facility	A slaughter plant for swine that is Federally inspected or under State inspection that the Food Safety Inspection Service has recognized as equivalent to federal inspection.
Slaughter swine	Swine being sold and moved for slaughter purposes only.
Small holding facility	A swine production site with ≥100 and <1,000 breeding swine (gilts, boars, and/or sows) or feeder swine.
State Animal Health Official (SAHO)	The State official who is responsible for the livestock and poultry disease control and eradication programs in the official's State/Area, or that person's designated representative.
Pork product	A product or byproduct produced or processed in whole or in part from swine.
US SHIP	United States Swine Health Improvement Plan.
US SHIP Technical Committee	A committee made up of technical experts on swine health, biosecurity, surveillance, and diagnostics. The committee consists of representatives from the swine and pork products industries, universities, and State and Federal governments that are appointed by the Senior Coordinator and approved by the General Conference Committee. The committee will consider proposed changes to the Provisions and Program Standards, including (but not limited to) tests and biosecurity procedures, and provide recommendations to the House of Delegates as to whether they are scientifically or technically sound.
Veterinary Services (VS)	The Veterinary Services branch of APHIS.
Veterinary Services representative	A person employed by VS who is authorized to perform the function involved.

Standard A—Enrollment

1. Enrollment

OSAs are responsible for enrolling participants, managing enrollment documentation, and reporting to the US SHIP Administrative team.

2. Premises Location

Participating premises are to be enrolled with the US SHIP OSA in the State in which the premises is located.

3. Premises-Level Information

The US SHIP OSA should maintain complete, accurate, and current, premises-level demographic information for each participating premises in the State.

4. Minimum Required Demographic Information

   1. The minimum required demographic information to be recorded for each participating premises includes:

      1. Name, address, and contact information of each US SHIP participant.

      2. Address (including latitude and longitude if a 911 address is not available) of animal location, and name and contact information of each Premises (Site) Owner. Longitude and latitude should be for the front gate of the premises.

      3. Premises Identification Number (PIN) of the participating animal location, as assigned by the State animal health official (SAHO) and common name of the site.

      4. Premises type (boar stud, breeding herd, growing pig, farrow to feeder/finish, small holding, non-commercial, live animal marketing operation, or packer).

      5. Expected live animal site capacity (number of swine).

      6. Expected slaughter capacity (number of swine slaughtered daily/weekly) if a slaughter establishment.

      7. Name and contact information for the individual submitting the enrollment document.

5. Premises Verification

   1. The OSA or its designee must verify and record accurate enrolled premises data, including the PIN, as provided in US SHIP enrollment documentation.

6. Private Veterinary Services Provider

   1. Except as provided below, all US SHIP participants should maintain a valid veterinary client-patient relationship with a licensed and federally accredited veterinarian.

   2. Slaughter facilities that are under the direct supervision of a USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Public Health Veterinarian, or the State equivalent, are not required to maintain a veterinary client-patient relationship with a private veterinarian.

7. Participant Data Recordkeeping

   1. The OSA must retain US SHIP enrollment and certification records for a minimum of three years.

   2. Sites enrolled in US SHIP should provide their respective OSA with updated site data within 30 days of a change in any of the minimum required demographic information components listed in Standard A.(4)a.

I

Standard B— Certification

1. Certification

   1. US SHIP sites (as identified by PIN) that meet or exceed the Program Standards and regulation requirements for the program with which the participant is seeking recognition may be recognized as “certified” by the OSA.

2. Certification Programs

   1. When an OSA recognizes a site as having met the requirements to be certified within the US SHIP program, that site is considered “ASF-CSF Monitored”.

   2. While not currently established, the program may expand to include provisions for additional certification programs in the future, based on industry and regulatory interests.

3. Components of Certification

   1. For each participating site, the participant must document and maintain evidence that the site addresses key components of the Program Standards. These components currently include live animal and semen movement data (see Standard D for additional details), a Secure Pork Supply Biosecurity Plan (for applicable site types; see Standard C for additional details), and any required testing results (see Standard E for additional details).

   2. The participant must observe any additional certification requirements listed in the Program Standards or in regulation.

4. Maintenance of Certification

   1. OSAs must ensure participating sites meet the Plan requirements before conferring certification.

   2. The OSA or their designee must verify whether each participant meets the requirements to maintain certification at least annually or a sufficient number of times each year to satisfy the OSA that the facility’s operations comply with the Plan’s provisions.

   3. During this verification, the OSA or their designee should confirm accurate demographic information for the certified site, as listed in Standard A.(4)a.

   4. The OSA should maintain a verification summary report containing satisfactory and unsatisfactory verifications and provide it to the APHIS US SHIP Senior Coordinator or their designee upon request.

Standard C— Biosecurity Principles

1. Premises Types Secure Pork Supply Biosecurity Plan

   1. Boar stud, breeding swine herd, farrow to feeder/finisher swine herd, and growing swine herd production site types must maintain and be able to provide their respective OSA access to a completed, current Secure Pork Supply Biosecurity Plan and associated supporting documentation within 24 hours of a written request. The Secure Pork Supply Plan Biosecurity Plan templates are available online at https://www.securepork.org/pork-producers/biosecurity/ and are generated and updated through collaboration between the swine industry, State and Federal government officials, and academia.

2. Exposed Personnel

   1. Individuals that have been exposed to livestock, feral/wild pigs, or slaughter facilities in APHIS-recognized ASF/CSF/FMD positive regions or countries, may only visit U.S. farms or slaughter facilities after observing a five-day downtime since arriving in the U.S., and donning personal protective equipment (boots/coveralls, etc.) provided by farm site or slaughter facility being visited.

3. Feed

   1. Certified sites may not feed swill, garbage, or table waste that has the potential to include meat products.

   2. In the event of an ASF or CSF incursion into the United States, participants must temporarily stop feeding spray-dried plasma, blood meal, meat and bone meal, intestinal peptide products, or other meal-based feedstuffs that have the potential to be of porcine origin. Participants can lift this temporary cessation if they can document to the OSA’s satisfaction that they source ingredients from:

      1. Suppliers that meet the facility requirements listed in c., below and apply an approved post-processing treatment listed in d., below.

This temporary cessation can also be lifted if the U.S. returns to ASF/CSF Risk Level 1, per Appendix 1. ASF/CSF Risk Level Chart.

3. Post-processing treatment facilities must follow the requirements listed below:

   1. Enhanced post-processing treatment must occur at facilities that have premises-level segregation from:

      1. Premises in which protein sources of porcine origin were initially heat treated (rendered or spray-dried) in accordance with feed-grade safety requirements, and

      2. Finished feed facilities manufacturing feed for swine.

4. Post-processing treatment facilities must adhere to the approved post-processing treatments listed below:

   1. Thermal processing consistent with industry standards to inactivate pathogens of concern.

   2. Ingredient quarantine/holding time and temperature consistent with industry standards to inactivate pathogens of concern.

1. New Site Additions

   1. After a detection of ASF or CSF in the U.S., additions of swine to sites which are certified as ASF/CSF Monitored, which do not come from ASF-CSF Monitored sites, must have tested negative for ASF and CSF, per SHIP testing guidelines, within 15 days prior to moving to the ASF/CSF Monitored site and found to be free of clinical signs consistent with ASF or CSF, as listed in Standard C(5)c and d. during this period. Certified ASF/CSF Monitored slaughter facilities must be able to satisfy the Official State Agency that they can keep live swine and pork products from ASF/CSF Monitored sites separate from live swine and pork products from sites that are not ASF/CSF Monitored.

2. Reporting of Elevated Morbidity and Mortality

   1. Elevation in morbidity and/or mortality above levels typical for the site, and without documented attributable management issues (e.g., ventilation system failure), must be reported to the State animal health official’s office or the local APHIS Area Veterinarian in Charge to rule out reportable disease agents.

   2. Certified slaughter facilities must report disease events with clinical signs compatible with ASF-CSF, including ante- or post-mortem indicators of possible hemorrhagic disease, as listed in Standard C(5)c and d. to FSIS.

   3. Clinical signs compatible with ASF:

      1. Peracute disease: Pigs are typically found dead, sometimes without clinical signs of disease or any post-mortem lesions.

      2. Acute disease: Clinical signs include fever, increased pulse and respiratory rate, lethargy, anorexia, and recumbency. Jaundice, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, eye discharge, bloody nasal discharge, and abortions may be observed. Pigs commonly exhibit reddening, hemorrhage, and/ or petechiation of the skin. One to two days before death the pig may develop anorexia, depression or listlessness, cyanosis, and incoordination. Death occurs 2-13 days after infection. Mortality rates approach 100 percent. Commonly seen post-mortem lesions include enlarged, and often friable spleen, enlarged liver, renal petechiae/hemorrhages, hemorrhagic and enlarged lymph nodes (most commonly gastrohepatic and renal), and hemorrhages/petechiae in other organs including urinary bladder, lungs, heart, stomach, and intestines.

      3. Subacute disease: Clinical signs are similar to the acute form but are less severe. The duration of illness is 5-30 days and mortality rates are lower (30-70 percent). Death occurs 15-45 days after infection. Like clinical signs, post-mortem lesions are similar to those seen with the acute form, but typically less severe.

      4. Chronic disease: Clinical signs develop over 2-15 months, are variable, and may include weight loss, fever, respiratory signs, skin necrosis, pericarditis, lung adhesions, and joint swelling. Mortality rates are low. Post-mortem lesions can include emaciation and focal caseous necrosis and mineralization of the lungs.

   4. Clinical signs compatible with CSF:

      1. Acute disease: Illness usually seen in weaned suckling pigs less than 12 weeks of age, unresponsive to antibiotics, and characterized by fever, severe depression, skin hyperemia, conjunctivitis, and staggering gaits followed by posterior paresis, abortion (rare), and/or diarrhea.

      2. Chronic disease: Pigs recovered from acute infection may progress into a chronic infection during which they experience anorexia, fever, diarrhea, and/or dermatitis, and which may result in the occurrence of runts in the herd. Chronic disease is characterized by subdued acute infection followed by a brief recovery before relapse of fever, anorexia leading to wasting, and death 1-3 months after onset.

      3. Congenital infection: Congenital infection can result in reduced reproductive performance and/or abortions/stillbirths. Weak piglets may be the only indication of disease in a herd. Pigs born to sows infected after day 50-70 of gestation may be born with congenital tremors or be persistently infected and appear normal for several months before dying. Survival periods of 11 months after birth have been observed in the literature. (Sows infected prior to day 50-70 of gestation may abort or give birth to stillbirths, mummies, or pigs with congenital defects).

3. Slaughter Establishment Segregation

   1. Any participant slaughtering facility handling ASF-CSF Monitored slaughter swine must be able to keep those swine and swine pork products separate from other swine and swine pork products from source farms not enrolled certified as ASF/CSF Monitored in the Plan in a manner satisfactory to the Official State Agency.

      1. Official State Agencies may consult with or defer to the Food Safety Inspection Service or State slaughtering facility authority to verify adherence to Standard B.(6).

7. Maintenance of Certification – Biosecurity Principles

   1. The OSA or their designee must verify competence of all applicable participants in maintaining a Secure Pork Supply Biosecurity Plan as part of the verification process referenced in Standard B.(4) and consistent with applicable APHIS regulations.

Standard D— Live Animal Movement

1. Swine Movement

   1. Participating sites must maintain records of the intrastate and interstate movements of all live swine into and out of each participating premises.

   2. The minimum required information to be recorded for each movement is:

      1. Date of movement.

      2. Origin State.

      3. Origin PIN.

      4. Destination State.

      5. Destination PIN.

      6. Head in movement (only when required by a regulatory action).

      7. Animal type in movement.

2. Semen Movement

   1. Participating boar stud premises are to maintain records of the intrastate and interstate movements of all semen distributed out of each participating premises.

   2. The list below provides the minimum required information to be recorded for each movement:

      1. Date of movement.

      2. Origin State.

      3. Origin PIN.

      4. Destination State.

      5. Destination PIN.

      6. Number of units in movement (only when required by a regulatory action).

3. Animal Identification

   1. Participants must comply with existing State and Federal regulations regarding animal/group/lot identification and intra- and interstate movement requirements, including but not limited to 9 CFR Parts 70 through 89.

4. Auditing

   1. Participants must maintain competency in providing at least 30 days of movement information for each certified site, in accordance with the data requirements set forth above, electronically in a common format (e.g., CSV file) to the OSA in a timely manner (< 72 hours).

   2. Participants with multiple participating sites in a state can demonstrate competency by providing movement data either individually for each participating site or at the network level, which includes movement data for all participating sites in the network.

   3. OSAs must verify participant competence in providing movement data as part of the audit process referenced in Standard B.(4).

Standard E— Sampling and Testing

1. Overview

   1. US SHIP participants must comply with ASF-CSF Sampling and Testing Requirements, including 9 CFR 148.10.

   2. US SHIP sampling and testing requirements are determined by the country disease risk level, as recognized by APHIS. County disease risk levels are described in Appendix 1. ASF/CSF Risk Level Chart. While no sampling and testing requirements are in place for Risk Level 1, the number and frequency of samples required from each premises for Risk Levels 2 and 3 remain in development.

   3. US SHIP ASF-CSF tests conducted for the exclusive purpose of meeting US SHIP program requirements are not considered official testing protocols for confirmation of FADs. If the testing laboratory obtains non-negative ASF or CSF results it must contact the appropriate State and Federal animal health officials to initiate a Foreign Animal Disease Investigation (FADI).

2. Specimen Types and Submission

   1. Qualifying sample types are listed in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) Sample Chart for Regulatory Submitters.

   2. The OSA designates authorized agents to collect samples in accordance with 9 CFR 148.10.

   3. Authorized agents must handle and package samples submitted to meet US SHIP testing requirements in according to the receiving NAHLN laboratory requirements.

   4. Samples submitted to meet US SHIP testing requirements must include the PIN and site information (physical address of the animals and contact information for the site’s point of contact) on the lab submission form, in addition to any information required by the NAHLN lab to which samples are being submitted.

3. Authorized Laboratories

   1. Samples collected to meet US SHIP testing requirements for ASF-CSF monitored certification must be submitted to a NAHLN laboratory approved by APHIS to conduct test(s) for the disease(s) for which they are being tested.

   2. Authorized laboratories must follow NAHLN Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to conduct the requested testing.

4. Auditing

   1. OSAs must verify participant competence in meeting sample collection and submission requirements for each certified site as part of the audit process referenced in Standard B.(4).

Standard F— Administrative

1. Official State Delegates

   1. Each State cooperating in US SHIP is entitled to a calculated number of official delegates who provide voting representation for their respective State at House of Delegates meetings.

   2. The official delegates shall be elected by the state’s respective pork producer association and ratified by the OSA. If a participating state does not have an active pork producer association, delegate selection will be deferred to the respective State Animal Health Official. APHIS recommends, but does not require, that the official delegates be US SHIP participants.

   3. The US SHIP senior coordinator or their designee calculates official delegate allocations for cooperating States using the following methods:

      1. Each cooperating State will be allotted a minimum of four voting delegates, comprising one delegate for each of the following US SHIP Classifications: Non-commercial, Small Commercial, Breeding Herd, and Growing Pig.

      2. Additionally, each cooperating State will receive one voting delegate for the Slaughter classification if there is a slaughter facility enrolled in US SHIP in their State.

      3. Additionally, a pool of at-large delegates, calculated by adding one Breeding Herd delegate and one Growing Pig delegate for each State participating in US SHIP, will be generated. The pool of at-large delegates will be allocated to cooperating States using the percentage of Breeding Swine and Growing Pigs certified in US SHIP located in a given State.

      4. Additionally, the 15 States with the largest number of combined Breeding Herd and Growing Pig at-large delegates (based on calculations from Standard.F.(1)c.iii) will each receive one Live Animal Marketing Operation delegate.

      5. Each cooperating State’s voting delegation is to include the State Animal Health Official or their designee.

      6. Each cooperating State may invite up to two non-voting delegates to attend the US SHIP HOD meeting.

      7. Delegates must be physically present at the US SHIP House of Delegates meeting to vote.

Appendix 1. ASF/CSF Risk Level Chart

Risk Level	Requirements
Risk Level 1	Neither ASF or CSF has been detected in the United States or more than three months have passed after disinfection of the last ASF or CSF infected site.
Risk Level 2	Either ASF or CSF has been detected in the U.S. and new disease detections of ASF or CSF have been identified within the last two months.
Risk Level 3	ASF or CSF has been detected in the U.S., there has not been a detection of either ASF or CSF in the last two months, and less than three months have passed since disinfection of the last ASF or CSF infected site.

Paperwork Reduction Act Disclosure

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0579-XXXX. The time required to complete this information collections is estimated to average 7 minutes to 1 hour, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden statement or any other aspect of this information collection, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to APHIS.PRA@usda.gov.

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