7 U.S.C. § 2146a

Searchable database requirements

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The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law:(a) within 60 calendar days, restore on its website the searchable database and its contents that were available on January 30, 2017, and all content generated since that date; and(b) hereafter, make publicly available via searchable database, in their entirety without redactions except signatures, the following records:(1) all final Animal Welfare Act inspection reports, including all reports documenting all Animal Welfare Act violations and non-compliances observed by USDA officials and all animal inventories for the current year and the preceding three years;(2) all final Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act enforcement records for the current year and the preceding three years;(3) all reports or other materials documenting any violations and non-compliances observed by USDA officials for the current year and the preceding three years; and(4) within six months of receipt by the agency, all final Animal Welfare Act research facility annual reports, including their attachments with appropriate redactions made for confidential business information that USDA could withhold under FOIA Exemption 4.(Pub. L. 116–94, div. B, title VII, § 788, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2657; Pub. L. 117–103, div. A, title VII, § 765, Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 98.)Editorial NotesReferences in Text

The Animal Welfare Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), (2), (4), is Pub. L. 89–544, Aug. 24, 1966, 80 Stat. 350, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2131 of this title and Tables.

The Horse Protection Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is Pub. L. 91–540, Dec. 9, 1970, 84 Stat. 1404, which is classified generally to chapter 44 (§ 1821 et seq.) of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1821 of Title 15 and Tables.

Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020, and also as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, and not as part of the Animal Welfare Act which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–103 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “hereafter, make publicly available via searchable database, in their entirety without redactions except signatures, the following records after enactment of this Act for a subsequent period of three years:

“(1) all final Animal Welfare Act inspection reports, including all reports documenting all Animal Welfare Act non-compliances observed by USDA officials and all animal inventories;

“(2) all final Animal Welfare Act and Horse Protection Act enforcement records;

“(3) all reports or other materials documenting any non-compliances observed by USDA officials; and

“(4) within six months of receipt by the agency, all final Animal Welfare Act research facility annual reports, including their attachments with appropriate redactions made for confidential business information that USDA could withhold under FOIA Exemption 4.”

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 2021–2025 · leading case: ASPCA v. APHIS & Dep't of Agric. (2d Cir. 2023).

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ASPCA v. APHIS & Dep't of Agric. (2d Cir. 2023). · cites it 5× “7 U.S.C. § 2146a, Pub. L. No. 116-94, § 788 , 133 Stat.”

Rise for Animals v. Vilsack (D. Maryland 2024). · cites it 5× “7 U.S.C. § 2146a (requiring that APHIS “make publicly available via searchable database .”

Rise for Animals v. Gary Washington (4th Cir. 2025). · cites it 3× “7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b)(1). The Database Provision requires APHIS to “make publicly available via searchable database, in their entirety, without redactions all final [AWA] inspection reports, including all reports documenting all [AWA] violations and non-compliances observed by…”

Am. Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Serv. (D.D.C. 2025). · cites it 2× “13 , but the AWA requires APHIS to make all final inspection reports publicly available online, see 7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b)(1). As APHIS explains in its briefing, “inspection reports are only the first step” in the enforcement process; once inspectors log observed violations in the…”

New England Anti-Vivisection Soc'y v. Goldentyer (D. Maryland 2021). “The USDA will then be required to disclose to the public “all reports or other 9 However, the court now understands not every inspection covers all areas of the facility.”

Am. Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. The Animal & Plant Health Inspection Serv. (S.D.N.Y. 2021). “Since the ASPCA filed its lawsuit challenging the Agencies’ policies and practices, Congress intervened to reverse the actions taken on February 3, 2017 by enacting Section 788 of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, 7 U.S.C. § 2146a (“Appropriations Act”).12…”

— 7 U.S.C. § 2146a(a) — 1 case

ASPCA v. APHIS & Dep't of Agric. (2d Cir. 2023). “7 U.S.C. § 2146a, Pub. L. No. 116-94, § 788 , 133 Stat.”

— 7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b) — 3 cases

Rise for Animals v. Vilsack (D. Maryland 2024). “7 U.S.C. § 2146a (requiring that APHIS “make publicly available via searchable database .”

ASPCA v. APHIS & Dep't of Agric. (2d Cir. 2023). “7 U.S.C. § 2146a, Pub. L. No. 116-94, § 788 , 133 Stat.”

— 7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b)(1) — 2 cases

Rise for Animals v. Gary Washington (4th Cir. 2025). “7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b)(1). The Database Provision requires APHIS to “make publicly available via searchable database, in their entirety, without redactions all final [AWA] inspection reports, including all reports documenting all [AWA] violations and non-compliances observed by…”

Am. Soc'y for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals v. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Serv. (D.D.C. 2025). “13 , but the AWA requires APHIS to make all final inspection reports publicly available online, see 7 U.S.C. § 2146a(b)(1). As APHIS explains in its briefing, “inspection reports are only the first step” in the enforcement process; once inspectors log observed violations in the…”

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