[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2908 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2908

     To promote international trade and interstate commerce in the 
 broodstock and seedstock of domesticated salmonid by authorizing the 
   Secretary of Agriculture to provide diagnostic and certification 
services to reduce the risk of transmission of diseases associated with 
                         domesticated salmonid.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 31, 1996

  Mr. Hastings of Washington introduced the following bill; which was 
    referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the 
Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To promote international trade and interstate commerce in the 
 broodstock and seedstock of domesticated salmonid by authorizing the 
   Secretary of Agriculture to provide diagnostic and certification 
services to reduce the risk of transmission of diseases associated with 
                         domesticated salmonid.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Domesticated Salmonid Broodstock and 
Seedstock Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) The terms ``salmonid'' means a specie in the family 
        salmonidae, including each specie of salmon and trout.
            (2) The term ``domesticated'', with respect to salmonids, 
        means salmonids raised on a farm for profit and held throughout 
        their life-cycle in captivity.
            (3) The term ``broodstock'' means domesticated salmonids 
        intended to be used for reproductive purposes.
            (4) The term ``seedstock'' means gametes (egg and sperm) 
        and fertilized (eyed) eggs produced from domesticated salmonid 
        broodstock.
            (5) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Agriculture.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            (1) United States breeders of domesticated salmonids raise 
        broodstock and produce seedstock which are essential to the 
        production of domesticated salmonids in the United States and 
        throughout the world;
            (2) the production and dissemination in interstate commerce 
        of salmonid broodstock and seedstock provides employment and 
        income in economically depressed rural areas and contributes to 
        the expansion of United States exports;
            (3) various foreign nations, including the members of the 
        European Union, have adopted requirements that salmonid 
        seedstock imported from the United States and other nations be 
        inspected and certified by a competent authority prior to 
        export;
            (4) existing Federal and State programs for the inspection 
        and certification of the health status of salmonid broodstock 
        and seedstock are inadequate and inconsistent;
            (5) the efficient and effective inspection and 
        certification of salmonid breeding facilities, broodstock, and 
        seedstock is essential to the economic well-being of the 
        domesticated salmonid broodstock and seedstock industry in the 
        United States; and
            (6) the Secretary of Agriculture currently provides 
        inspection and certification services to the livestock and live 
        poultry industries and has the technical expertise and capacity 
        necessary to administer a program to provide similar services 
        to the United States domesticated salmonid broodstock and 
        seedstock industry.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act--
            (1) to designate the Secretary of Agriculture as the single 
        competent authority for the health inspection and certification 
        of salmonid broodstock and seedstock used to produce 
        domesticated salmonids;
            (2) to promote fair trade and interstate commerce in 
        salmonid broodstock and seedstock produced in the United 
        States, which is used to produce domesticated salmonids; and
            (3) to reduce the risk of transmission in interstate 
        commerce of diseases, pathogens and pests in domesticated 
        salmonid broodstock and seedstock to the extent practicable.

SEC. 4. PREVENTION OF INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OF CONTAGION.

    (a) Required Activities.--In cooperation with producers of 
domesticated salmonid seedstock, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 
establish a comprehensive program with regard to domesticated salmonid 
broodstock and seedstock to--
            (1) provide diagnostic and certification services in a 
        manner which is effective and efficient and which fosters the 
        participation of State and private laboratories;
            (2) establish health criteria for domesticated salmonid 
        broodstock and seedstock; and
            (3) monitor, evaluate, and facilitate the elimination of, 
        unreasonable impediments to the interstate commerce of 
        broodstock and seedstock that is certified under the program.
    (b) Use of Existing Authorities.--To prevent the introduction or 
dissemination in interstate commerce and international trade of any 
contagious, infectious, or communicable disease associated with 
domesticated salmonid broodstock and seedstock and to promote the 
exportation of domesticated salmonid broodstock and seedstock, the 
Secretary may use the authorities provided in the following provisions 
of law (relating to livestock and poultry) to regulate the production, 
transportation, and exportation of domesticated salmonid broodstock and 
seedstock:
            (1) Sections 1, 2, and 3 of the Act of February 2, 1903 (21 
        U.S.C. 111, 121, 122).
            (2) The Act of May 29, 1884 (21 U.S.C. 112, 113, 113a, 114, 
        114a, 114a-1, 115-120; commonly known as the Animal Industry 
        Act).
            (3) Sections 1 and 2 of the Act of February 28, 1947 (21 
        U.S.C. 114b, 114c).
            (4) The Act of March 3, 1905 (21 U.S.C. 123-127).
            (5) Sections 1 through 6 and sections 11, 12, and 13 of 
        Public Law 87-516 (21 U.S.C. 134-134h).
            (6) Sections 1, 2, and 3 of Public Law 91-239 (21 U.S.C. 
        135-135b).

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment; Membership.--Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an 
advisory committee consisting of--
            (1) five members selected from representatives of the 
        salmonid broodstock and seedstock industry;
            (2) three members selected from the Department of 
        Agriculture; and
            (3) one member selected from the officers and employees of 
        the Department of Agriculture who shall serve as chairman of 
        the Committee.
    (b) Functions.--It shall be the function of the Committee to advise 
the Secretary with respect to the development and implementation of the 
program for domesticated salmonid broodstock and seedstock industry 
authorized by this Act, including diagnostic and certification 
services, all rules and related analysis pertaining thereto, and the 
facilitation of fair trade and the dissemination of domesticated 
salmonid seedstock in interstate commerce.
    (c) Meetings.--The Committee shall meet at the call of the 
Secretary.
    (d) Employment Status; Expenses.--Committee members (other than the 
chairman and other Department of Agriculture staff) shall not be 
considered to be employees of the United States by reason of their 
membership and shall not be entitled to compensation for service on the 
Committee. However, the Secretary may pay their travel and subsistence 
expenses (or a per diem in lieu thereof) in connection with their 
attendance at meetings of the Committee.

SEC. 6. CERTIFICATIONS.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall certify to any person the health 
status of any domesticated salmonid seedstock intended for export from 
the United States.

SEC. 7. CONSTRUCTION WITH OTHER LAWS.

    Notwithstanding this Act, the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Commerce shall have sole responsibility for the health of 
salmonids, and the products thereof, located in any facility 
administered by the Department of the Interior or the Department of 
Commerce.
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