From: OPRR [OLAW] Staff. The Public Health Service Responds to Commonly Asked Questions. ILAR News 33(4):68-70, Fall, 1991, Question #6:
“6. The PHS Policy requires semiannual IACUC inspection of all facilities where animals are held for 24 hours or more, while the USDA regulations require such inspections of sites where animals are kept for 12 hours or more. How should our IACUC deal with this discrepancy?
The PHS Policy requires compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA regulations apply to animal study areas where USDA-covered species are maintained for more than 12 hours. These areas of the facility must be included in the semiannual review. The PHS Policy definition of satellite facility and duration of stay requirements remain unchanged, and may be applied to species such as rats and mice that are covered by the Policy but not by USDA regulations. The important point to remember is that the institution remains accountable for all activities involving animals, regardless of any technical differences in definitions and time limits. Again, institutional policies should be designed with an emphasis on the desired outcome of appropriate humane care and use of all animals at the institution.”
See the source document in HTML: ILAR News 33(4) 1991 Commonly Asked Questions.html