[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4651 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4651

To establish a Federal interagency task force to promote the benefits, 
 safety, and potential uses of agricultural biotechnology outside the 
  United States to improve human and animal nutrition, increase crop 
 productivity, and improve agricultural sustainability while ensuring 
    the safety of food and the environment, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 23, 2004

Mr. Smith of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was referred 
              to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a Federal interagency task force to promote the benefits, 
 safety, and potential uses of agricultural biotechnology outside the 
  United States to improve human and animal nutrition, increase crop 
 productivity, and improve agricultural sustainability while ensuring 
    the safety of food and the environment, 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. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO PROMOTE THE BENEFITS, 
              SAFETY, AND POTENTIAL INTERNATIONAL USES OF AGRICULTURAL 
              BIOTECHNOLOGY.

    (a) Establishment of Interagency Task Force.--There is established 
the ``Federal Interagency Task Force to Promote the Benefits, Safety, 
and Potential Uses of Agricultural Biotechnology Overseas'' (in this 
section referred to as the ``task force'') for the purpose of improving 
interagency cooperation and to develop and disseminate accurate written 
scientific information outside the United States on the benefits, 
safety, and potential uses of agricultural biotechnology.
    (b) Membership.--The members of the task force shall consist of the 
Secretary of State, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of 
Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, and the 
Director of the National Science Foundation. The Secretary of State 
shall chair the task force. Members of the task force may designate a 
senior official from the appropriate participating Federal agency to 
attend meetings of the task force.
    (c) Objectives of Task Force.--The task force shall coordinate the 
activities of the participating agencies regarding the following:
            (1) Improved knowledge of foreign-assigned individuals from 
        the participating agencies regarding the safety and potential 
        of biotechnology-derived agricultural products, including 
        regulatory safeguards that assure food and environmental 
        safety, for the purpose of encouraging the use of such 
        biotechnology-derived agricultural products by foreign 
        countries.
            (2) Expanded dissemination outside the United States by 
        participating agencies of scientifically-based facts regarding 
        the safety and potential of biotechnology-derived agricultural 
        products.
            (3) Improved ability of the participating agencies to 
        advocate to foreign countries the benefits that agricultural 
        biotechnology can potentially provide for human and animal 
        nutrition, the environment, crop productivity, and agricultural 
        sustainability.
            (4) Achievement of a better understanding by foreign 
        countries of the potential benefits of agricultural 
        biotechnology to develop products that can be grown under local 
        soil and climate conditions and better meet the health and 
        nutritional needs of local populations.
    (d) Reporting Requirements.--
            (1) Submission.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and biannually thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        activities undertaken by the task force and the participating 
        agencies to promote the benefits, safety, and potential uses of 
        agricultural biotechnology outside the United States.
            (2) Requirements.--Each report submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall include a description of the Following:
                    (A) Measures taken to coordinate and communicate, 
                as appropriate, the scientific evidence on the 
                benefits, safety, and potential uses of agricultural 
                biotechnology outside the United States.
                    (B) Progress made toward achieving coordination 
                under subsection (c).
                    (C) The success of efforts coordinated under 
                subsection (c).
                    (D) Efforts to advance the goals of subsection (c) 
                in developing nations.
                    (E) Recommendations to improve the activities of 
                the participating agencies pertaining to communicating 
                benefits, safety, and potential uses of biotechnology 
                outside the United States.
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