USDA-APHIS will have its final rule published in the Federal Register on January 24, 2017.  The date of publication falls after the inauguration of Donald Trump as President.  The timing of the publication of the rule may or may not fall after any action President Trump may take to delay or suspend rules not published as of the inauguration date.  Past presidents have taken such actions that will delay or suspend rules not currently published or whose effective date was not before the inauguration.

The USDA-APHIS rule would eliminate the use of action devices 30 days after January 24, 2017, and would prohibit the use of pads on January 1, 2018.  Also, HIOs would be relieved of their regulatory duties on January 1, 2018.  The rule was used to circumvent Congress who chose not to act on the legislation written by the Humane Society of the United States that would devastate the Tennessee Walking Horse show industry.  

A complete copy of the final rule to be published in the Federal Register can be viewed here.  Trump has selected former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture, who has a strong agricultural background.