[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3293 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3293

To establish a coordinated program of science-based countermeasures to 
           address the threats of agricultural bioterrorism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 14, 2001

    Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma (for himself and Mr. Watkins of Oklahoma) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                              Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a coordinated program of science-based countermeasures to 
           address the threats of agricultural bioterrorism.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Agricultural 
Bioterrorism Countermeasures Act of 2001''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Biosecurity upgrades at Department of Agriculture and related 
                            facilities.
Sec. 4. Intramural agricultural bioterrorism research and development.
Sec. 5. Consortium for countermeasures against agricultural 
                            bioterrorism.
Sec. 6. Agricultural bioterrorism competitive research grants.
Sec. 7. Expansion of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
                            activities.
Sec. 8. Expansion of Food Safety Inspection Service activities.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The events of September 11, 2001, have heightened 
        awareness of the threat of acts of bioterrorism, including 
        attacks directed at the domestic food supply and underlying 
        agriculture.
            (2) Evidence of access to and rudimentary experiments with 
        chemical and biological agents and the reported interest in the 
        operation of cropdusting aircraft point to possible terrorist 
        intent to use biological or chemical weapons.
            (3) An attack of agricultural bioterrorism would pose 
        serious challenges such as--
                    (A) hazards to human health;
                    (B) erosion of public confidence in the safety of 
                the domestic food supply; and
                    (C) damage to the economy.
            (4) It is important to develop short- and long-term 
        strategies and supporting technology to more effectively and 
        efficiently protect the domestic food supply from acts of 
        bioterrorism.
            (5) A program of ongoing research and development is 
        required to reduce the vulnerability of plant and animal 
        agriculture and the food supply.
            (6) It is critical to bring Federal, academic, and private 
        sector capacities to bear on the threat of agricultural 
        bioterrorism.
    (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to strengthen the research and development capacity of 
        the United States to respond to the threat of agricultural 
        bioterrorism;
            (2) to promote the collaboration between the Federal, 
        academic, and private sectors in addressing agricultural 
        bioterrorism; and
            (3) to strengthen the capacity of regulatory agencies to 
        prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the consequences of a 
        bioterrorist attack.

SEC. 3. BIOSECURITY UPGRADES AT DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND RELATED 
              FACILITIES.

    (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture $870,000,000 to enable the 
Agricultural Research Service to comply with the requirements of the 
Department of Agriculture's biosecurity responsibilities under 
Presidential Directive 67 with respect to the conduct of activities to 
secure existing facilities where potential animal and plant pathogens 
are housed or researched and to improve food safety research 
activities.
    (b) Distribution of Amounts.--The amounts appropriated pursuant to 
the authorization of appropriations in subsection (a) shall be made 
available as follows:
            (1) $220,000,000 shall be made available for renovation, 
        update, and expansion of the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory and 
        animal research facilities at the Plum Island Animal Disease 
        Center (Greenport, New York).
            (2) $385,000,000 shall be made available for the 
        Agricultural Research Service/Animal and Plant Health 
        Inspection Service facility in Ames, Iowa.
            (3) $106,000,000 shall be made available for the planning 
        and design of an Agricultural Research Service biocontainment 
        laboratory for poultry research in Athens, Georgia.
            (4) $9,000,000 shall be made available for the planning, 
        updating, and renovation of the Arthropod-Bome Animal Disease 
        Laboratory in Laramie, Wyoming.
            (5) $120,000,000 shall be made available for collaborative 
        research with the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for 
        the Prevention of Terrorism, the Department of Justice, and 
        other law enforcement and emergency preparedness organizations.
            (6) $10,000,000 shall be made available for the purchase of 
        rapid detection field test kits to be distributed by the 
        Secretary of Agriculture to State and local agencies engaged in 
        defending against agroterrorism and the training of appropriate 
        authorities.
            (7) $20,000,000 shall be made available for the updating, 
        expansion, and renovation of the Biosensor Technologies 
        Research Center at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, 
        Oklahoma.

SEC. 4. INTRAMURAL AGRICULTURAL BIOTERRORISM RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall expand 
Agricultural Research Service programs to protect the domestic food 
supply by--
            (1) enhancing the capability to respond immediately to the 
        needs of regulatory agencies involved in protecting the food 
        supply;
            (2) cooperating with academic and private sector partners 
        to maximize the impact of research and development;
            (3) strengthening linkages with the intelligence community 
        to better identify research needs and evaluate acquired 
        materials;
            (4) expanding the involvement of the Agricultural Research 
        Service with international organizations dealing with plant and 
        animal disease control; and
            (5) taking other appropriate measures.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $140,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.

SEC. 5. CONSORTIUM FOR COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST AGRICULTURAL 
              BIOTERRORISM.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall establish a 
Consortium for Countermeasures Against Agricultural Bioterrorism to 
help form stable long-term programs of research, development, and 
evaluation of options to enhance the biosecurity of United States 
agriculture.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Consortium shall be comprised of 
        institutions of higher education positioned to partner with 
        Federal agencies to address agricultural bioterrorism.
            (2) Designation.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
        designate for membership in the Consortium--
                    (A) 3 institutions of higher education that are 
                national centers for countermeasures against 
                agricultural bioterrorism; and
                    (B) not more than 7 additional institutions of 
                higher education with existing programs relating to 
                agricultural bioterrorism.
            (3) National centers.--The national centers shall be 
        selected using the following criteria:
                    (A) Co-location of Department of Agriculture 
                laboratories or training centers with member 
                institutions.
                    (B) Demonstrated expertise in the area of plant and 
                animal diseases.
                    (C) Located at Land Grant Institutions that have a 
                College of Veterinary Medicine, an on-site animal 
                disease diagnostic laboratory, and the capability to 
                conduct on-site training and training via distance 
                education technology.
                    (D) Close coordination with State cooperative 
                extension programs that work in cooperation with 
                industry, farm and commodity organizations, and 
                regulatory agencies.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.

SEC. 6. AGRICULTURAL BIOTERRORISM COMPETITIVE RESEARCH GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall enhance the 
National Research Initiative of the Competitive Grants Program of the 
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service by 
awarding grants focused on the science and technology needed to protect 
against and deal with acts of bioterrorism directed at the domestic 
food supply and agriculture.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.

SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE 
              ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall enhance and 
expand the capacity of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 
by--
            (1) increasing inspection capacity at international points 
        of origin;
            (2) improving surveillance at ports of entry and customs;
            (3) enhancing methods of protecting against introduction of 
        plant and animal disease organisms by terrorists;
            (4) adopting new strategies and technology for dealing with 
        outbreaks of plant and animal disease arising from acts of 
        terrorism or from unintentional introduction, including 
        establishing cooperative agreements among entities described in 
        subsection (b) to enhance the preparedness and ability of 
        Veterinary Services of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
        Service and such entities to respond to outbreaks of such 
        animal diseases;
            (5) strengthening the planning and coordination with State 
        and local agencies, including the entities described in 
        subsection (b); and
            (6) taking other appropriate measures.
    (b) Cooperating Entities.--The entities referred to in paragraphs 
(4) and (5) of subsection (a) are the following:
            (1) Veterinary Services of the Animal and Plant Health 
        Inspection Service.
            (2) State animal health commissions and regulatory agencies 
        for livestock and poultry health.
            (3) State agriculture departments.
            (4) Accredited colleges of veterinary medicine that are co-
        located with an accredited animal disease diagnostic laboratory 
        and connected via high speed internet to national animal 
        disease laboratories (to facilitate telemedicine sharing of 
        necropsy images and histopathology images), animal diagnostic 
        centers, State departments of public health, and the Center for 
        Disease Control and Prevention.
            (5) Private veterinary practitioners.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $140,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.

SEC. 8. EXPANSION OF FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION SERVICE ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall enhance and 
expand the capacity of the Food Safety Inspection Service by--
            (1) enhancing the ability to inspect and ensure the safety 
        and wholesomeness of meat and poultry products;
            (2) developing new methods for rapid detection and 
        identification of diseases and other hazardous agents;
            (3) applying new technologies to improve ante mortem and 
        post mortem inspection procedures;
            (4) improving the capacity to inspect international meat 
        and poultry products at points of origin and at ports of entry; 
        and
            (5) strengthening collaboration among agencies within the 
        Department of Agriculture and in other parts of Federal and 
        State government through the sharing of information and 
        technology.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $140,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2003 through 2007.
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