The Secretary is authorized to promulgate humane standards and recordkeeping requirements governing the purchase, handling, or sale of animals, in commerce, by dealers, research facilities, and exhibitors at auction sales and by the operators of such auction sales. The Secretary is also authorized to require the licensing of operators of auction sales where any dogs or cats are sold, in commerce, under such conditions as he may prescribe, and upon payment of such fee as prescribed by the Secretary under section 2153 of this title.
1976—Pub. L. 94–279 substituted “in commerce” for “affecting commerce” in two places.
1970—Pub. L. 91–579 extended requirements for recordkeeping and humane standards to exhibitors and operators of auction sales, with such requirements to apply to animals as defined instead of only to cats and dogs when transactions in auction sales are affecting commerce, and required operators of auction sales to obtain a license when he sells cats or dogs and such transactions are affecting commerce, upon payment of fee prescribed by the Secretary.
Amendment by Pub. L. 91–579 effective one year after