[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2594 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2594

    To establish a Food Safety Research Institute to coordinate the 
   development of a Federal Governmentwide, interagency food safety 
  research agenda to ensure the efficient use of food safety research 
             resources and prevent duplication of efforts.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

              October 8 (legislative day, October 2), 1998

  Mr. Harkin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To establish a Food Safety Research Institute to coordinate the 
   development of a Federal Governmentwide, interagency food safety 
  research agenda to ensure the efficient use of food safety research 
             resources and prevent duplication of efforts.

    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 ``Food Safety Research Institute 
Establishment Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. FOOD SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

    (a) Establishment.--The President shall establish a Food Safety 
Research Institute (referred to in this section as the ``Institute'') 
to coordinate the development of a Federal Governmentwide, interagency 
food safety research agenda to ensure the efficient use of food safety 
research resources and prevent duplication of efforts.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The head of each Federal agency that 
        conducts or uses food safety research, as determined by the 
        President, shall designate a member of the Institute.
            (2) Agencies included.--The President shall include among 
        the agencies determined under paragraph (1), at a minimum--
                    (A) the Food Safety and Inspection Service;
                    (B) the Agricultural Research Service;
                    (C) the Cooperative State Research, Education, and 
                Extension Service;
                    (D) the Food and Drug Administration;
                    (E) the National Science Foundation;
                    (F) the National Institutes of Health; and
                    (G) the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (3) Cochairpersons.--The Secretary of Agriculture, the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the 
        Office of Science and Technology Policy shall each appoint a 
        cochairperson of the Institute who has--
                    (A) a scientific background related to food safety 
                research; and
                    (B) experience with food safety research;
    (c) Duties.--The Institute shall--
            (1) identify priorities and desired outcomes for Federal 
        food safety research efforts with an emphasis on the prevention 
        of food-borne contamination;
            (2) coordinate the development of food safety research 
        initiatives;
            (3) coordinate the development of joint program 
        announcements and requests for proposals related to food safety 
        research;
            (4) consult with Federal and non-Federal users of food 
        safety research; and
            (5) act as an information clearinghouse for the assembly 
        and dissemination of food safety research information.
    (d) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Institute 
shall consult with representatives of--
            (1) Federal regulatory agencies that use food safety 
        research;
            (2) producer groups and representatives;
            (3) consumer representatives;
            (4) food safety research consortia; and
            (5) research advisory boards with jurisdiction over Federal 
        food safety research programs.
    (e) Limitation.--Federal funds available, as of the date of 
enactment of this Act, for food safety research shall not be used to 
administer the Institute.
    (f) Location.--The location of the Institute shall be, as 
determined by the President, in conjunction with a major university 
with substantial experience in carrying out food safety research, 
education, and extension activities.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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