USDA Support to HPAI-Affected Premises

USDA Support for Producers with Affected Dairy Premises

On April 24, USDA announced a Federal Order effective as of
April 29, as part of its ongoing efforts to protect the U.S. livestock
industry from the threat posed by highly pathogenic avian
influenza (HPAI or H5N1) in dairy cattle. The Federal Order (FO)
requires mandatory testing prior to the interstate movement
of lactating dairy cattle and mandatory reporting of positive
influenza A test results in livestock. USDA is taking these actions to
address any risks to animal health, public health, and the safety
of our food supply. To help producers enhance their biosecurity
practices, USDA is offering additional support for producers who
have HPAI confirmed positive dairy herds so they have tools to
eliminate the virus and can protect their animals, themselves,
their families, and their employees.

Eligibility

Producers will work with USDA personnel to develop a plan
for their premises—detailing planned testing and movement,
biosecurity practices and other planned activities. Following
the development of this plan, the producer will draft a Detailed
Financial Plan (DFP) to include all the planned activities,
purchases and services associated with the actions they select
(from the list below) that will be eligible for USDA financial
support.
In order to assure fiscal accountability with federal funds, USDA
personnel—a Field Reimbursement Specialist or their designee—
will conduct a review every 30 days to monitor the progress in
implementing the components of the action(s) which they have
chosen to implement (e.g., is PPE being used appropriately, is the
enhanced biosecurity plan being implemented).

Dairy producers with premises that have been confirmed positive
for HPAI are eligible for USDA support to conduct activities
that best fit their operations. Support for these interventions
is available for a period of up to 120 days from the date of
confirmation of H5N1 in cattle on the affected premises.

The producer will be provided with information to sign up for
a System for Award Management (SAM) registration, which will
provide for the mechanism of payment or offered an alternative
method of payment (e.g., providing an EFT form for direct deposit
payments, requesting a paper check be drafted), although these
other options will result in less timely payments compared to SAM.

Enrollment and Verification

Payments

Interested producers will contact the Area Veterinarian in Charge
to enroll.

Every 30 days, the producers will be provided a form (VS 1-23) to
review and sign verifying the costs associated with actions below
per mechanism established above.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
APHIS-24-025 | May 2024

www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth

Actions
Protect against the potential for disease spread between
humans and animals. USDA will provide financial support for
producers with affected herds who supply PPE to employees
and/or provide outerwear uniform laundering and facilitate the
participation of their workers in a USDA/CDC workplace and
farmworker study.
A flat rate per employee will be offered to producers who elect
this option, up to $2,000 per affected premises per month.
„ Producers will need to provide proof of purchase of PPE or the
cost of laundering services as well as acknowledgement from
CDC of their participation in the study.
„

Support producers in biosecurity planning and
implementation. USDA will provide support to develop
biosecurity plans based on existing secure milk supply plans.
This includes recommended enhanced biosecurity for individuals
that frequently move between dairy premises—milk haulers,
veterinarians, feed trucks, AI technicians, etc.
Producers can elect to hire private entities to develop site
specific plans, conduct biosecurity trainings, and perform
audits.
„ Producers would be compensated up to $1,500 per
affected premises for these services after verification and
inclusion on the DFP.
„ Producers could elect to work with State personnel who
would develop site specific plans, conduct biosecurity
trainings, and perform audits.
„ States would be compensated under a cooperative
agreement based on the flat rates for activities chosen by
the producer.
„ USDA will provide a $100 payment to producers who purchase
and install an in-line sampler for their milk system on an
affected premises.
„

Provide funding for heat treatment to dispose of milk from
sick cows in a bio secure fashion. This will provide producers a
safe option to dispose of their milk from sick cows. Heat treatment
performed in accordance with standards set by FDA is the only
currently available method considered to effectively inactivate the
virus in milk from sick cows.
„

If a producer establishes a system to heat treat all waste milk
from sick cows before disposal, USDA will pay the producer up
to $2,000 per month, up to $8,000 total, per affected premises.

Reimburse producers for veterinarian costs associated with
confirmed positive HPAI premises. USDA will provide support
to producers to cover veterinary costs necessarily incurred for
treating cattle infected with HPAI, as well as fees for veterinarians
to collect samples for testing.
This can include veterinary fees and/or specific supplies
needed for treatment and sample collection.
„ Veterinary costs are eligible for reimbursement from the initial
date of positive confirmation at NVSL for that premises, up to
$10,000 per premises.
„

Offset shipping costs for influenza A testing at laboratories in
the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. USDA will pay
for the cost for of shipping samples to NAHLN labs for testing.
„

USDA will pay actual shipping costs, not to exceed $50 per
shipment for up to 2 shipments per month for each affected
premises.