The 21^st Century Cures Act doesn’t impact the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as much as the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare,^[1] but it does require USDA to take steps to reduce the regulatory burden on institutions conducting research involving animals that fall under the agency’s purview, a top official said.^[2]

Elizabeth Theodorson, assistant deputy administrator of animal care at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, told attendees at a recent webinar that USDA is implementing the act to cut red tape. Specifically, she said, the agency: