[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5608 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5608

    To provide for the testing of chronic wasting disease and other 
infectious disease in deer and elk herds, to establish the Interagency 
  Task Force on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 10, 2002

  Ms. Baldwin (for herself and Mr. Green of Wisconsin) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and 
     in addition to the Committee on Resources, 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 provide for the testing of chronic wasting disease and other 
infectious disease in deer and elk herds, to establish the Interagency 
  Task Force on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Comprehensive Wildlife Disease 
Testing Acceleration Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Chronic wasting disease.--The term ``chronic wasting 
        disease'' means the animal disease that afflicts deer and elk--
                    (A) that is a transmissible disease of the nervous 
                system resulting in distinctive lesions in the brain; 
                and
                    (B) that belongs to the group of diseases--
                            (i) that is known as transmissible 
                        spongiform encephalopathies; and
                            (ii) that includes scrapie, bovine 
                        spongiform encephalopathy, and Cruetzfeldt-
                        Jakob disease.
            (2) Epizootic hemorrhagic disease.--The term ``epizootic 
        hemorrhagic disease'' means the animal disease afflicting deer 
        and other wild ruminants--
                    (A) that is an insect-borne transmissible viral 
                disease; and
                    (B) that results in spontaneous hemorraging in the 
                muscles and organs of the afflicted animals.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (4) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the 
        Interagency Task Force on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease 
        established by section 4(a).

SEC. 3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE SAMPLING GUIDELINES AND TESTING 
              PROTOCOL.

    (a) Sampling Guidelines.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue guidelines for 
        the collection of animal tissue by Federal, State, tribal, and 
        local agencies for testing for chronic wasting disease.
            (2) Requirements.--Guidelines issued under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) include procedures for the stabilization of 
                tissue samples for transport to a laboratory for 
                assessment; and
                    (B) be updated as the Secretary determines to be 
                appropriate.
    (b) Testing Protocol.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue a protocol to be used 
in the laboratory assessment of samples of animal tissue that may be 
contaminated with chronic wasting disease.
    (c) Laboratory Certification and Inspection Program.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a program 
        for the certification and inspection of Federal and non-Federal 
        laboratories (including private laboratories) under which the 
        Secretary shall authorize laboratories certified under the 
        program to conduct tests for chronic wasting disease.
            (2) Verification.--In carrying out the program established 
        under paragraph (1), the Secretary may require that the results 
        of any tests conducted by private laboratories shall be 
        verified by Federal laboratories.
    (d) Development of New Tests.--Not later than 45 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall accelerate research 
into--
            (1) the development of animal tests for chronic wasting 
        disease, including--
                    (A) tests for live animals; and
                    (B) field diagnostic tests; and
            (2) the development of testing protocols that reduce 
        laboratory test processing time.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON EPIZOOTIC HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE.

    (a) In General.--There is established a Federal interagency task 
force to be known as the ``Interagency Task Force on Epizootic 
Hemorrhagic Disease'' to coordinate activities to prevent the outbreak 
of epizootic hemorrhagic disease and related diseases in the United 
States.
    (b) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
            (1) the Secretary, who shall serve as the chairperson of 
        the Task Force;
            (2) the Secretary of the Interior;
            (3) the Secretary of Commerce;
            (4) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
            (5) the Secretary of the Treasury;
            (6) the Commissioner of Food and Drugs;
            (7) the Director of the National Institutes of Health;
            (8) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention;
            (9) the Commissioner of Customs; and
            (10) the heads of any other Federal agencies that the 
        President determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Task Force shall submit to Congress a report that--
            (1) describes any activities that are being carried out, or 
        that will be carried out, to prevent--
                    (A) the outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease 
                and related diseases in the United States; and
                    (B) the spread or transmission of epizootic 
                hemorrhagic disease and related diseases to dairy 
                cattle or other livestock; and
            (2) includes recommendations for--
                    (A) legislation that should be enacted or 
                regulations that should be promulgated to prevent the 
                outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease and related 
                diseases in the United States; and
                    (B) coordination of the surveillance of and 
                diagnostic testing for epizootic hemorrhagic disease, 
                chronic wasting disease, and related diseases.

SEC. 5. FUNDING.

    To carry out this Act, the Secretary may use funds made available 
to the Secretary for administrative purposes.
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