[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 149 (Wednesday, December 6, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11648-S11649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    ICCVAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2000

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of H.R. 4281, which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 4281) to establish, wherever feasible, 
     guidelines, recommendations, and regulations that promote the 
     regulatory acceptance of new or revised scientifically valid 
     toxicological tests that protect human and animal health and 
     the environment while reducing, refining, or replacing animal 
     tests and ensuring human safety and product effectiveness.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to support passage of H.R. 
4281, the ``ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000.'' This bill would make 
permanent the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of 
Alternative Methods, otherwise known as ``ICCVAM.'' Doing so would give 
companies and federal agencies a sense of certainty and would encourage 
them to make the long-term research investments necessary to develop 
new, revised, and alternative toxicology test methods for ICCVAM to 
review. This would decrease and ultimately could lead to the end of 
animal use in testing shampoos, pesticides, and other products, while 
ensuring that human safety and product effectiveness remain protected.
  ICCVAM was created pursuant to the 1993 National Institutes of Health 
Revitalization Act's mandate that the National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) recommend new processes for 
federal agencies' acceptance of new, revised, or alternative toxicology 
test methods. ICCVAM is composed of representatives of various federal 
agencies that use or regulate the use of animals in toxicity testing.
  ICCVAM evaluates and recommends improved test methods and makes it 
possible for more uniform testing to be adopted across federal 
agencies. Ultimately, ICCVAM streamlines the test method validation and 
approval process by evaluating methods of interest to multiple 
agencies, thus reducing the need for companies to perform multiple 
animal tests to meet the requirements of different federal agencies. 
This bill and ICCVAM do not apply to regulations related to medical 
research.
  Recent advances in analytical chemistry and computer modeling have 
created new opportunities for the development of more accurate, faster, 
and less expensive test methods--methods that use fewer animals or 
bypass the need to use any animals in toxicity testing. This is a 
``win-win'' situation for the public, industry, animal protection 
groups, and agencies.
  This is a truly bipartisan and cooperative effort among industry, 
animal protection groups, and various federal agencies. It simply makes 
sense to make permanent a process that is currently working so well. 
This bill is supported by the Doris Day Animal League, Procter & 
Gamble, the Colgate-Palmolive Company, the Humane Society, the American 
Humane Association, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals, the Gillette Company, the Chemical Specialties 
Manufacturers Association, the American Chemistry Council, the Soap and 
Detergent Association, the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers 
Association, and the American Crop Protection Association.
  I thank Senators Kennedy, Murray, Smith of New Hampshire, Abraham, 
Santorum, and Boxer for their support of ICCVAM and for their work in 
this bipartisan effort. I also thank Chairman Jeffords for his help in 
moving forward the Senate counterpart bill I introduced--S. 1495--upon 
which we based our bipartisan negotiations.


 chemical testing programs and creating a scientific advisory committee

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I appreciate the work of my colleague from 
Ohio, Mr. DeWine on S. 1495, the ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000, and 
was pleased to cosponsor that legislation. The measure will help ensure 
that we improve the review of chemical test methods employed by federal 
agencies with the ultimate goal of reducing the unnecessary use of 
animals in testing.
  The bill we consider here today is the House-passed version, H.R. 
4281, which is somewhat different than S. 1495. Would the Senator from 
Ohio be willing to clarify a few important points about this 
legislation for our colleagues?
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I would be pleased to clarify aspects of 
this legislation for my colleagues.
  Mr. BAUCUS. I am concerned that this legislation could be used to 
delay the EPA's chemical testing programs including the proposed 
Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, the agency's children's health 
testing initiatives, and EPA's pesticide registration/re-registration 
process. Can my colleague from Ohio assure me that nothing in this bill 
is intended to prevent or slow the implementation of existing statutory 
mandates under the Food Quality Protection Act and the Safe Drinking 
Water Act for these important programs?
  Mr. DeWINE. I can assure my colleague from Montana that nothing in 
this legislation is intended to prevent or slow the implementation of 
existing statutory mandates under the FQPA and SDWA.
  In fact, the EPA is currently exercising its discretion to submit 
test methods to be used in the EDSP to the ICCVAM for assessment of 
validation. Nothing in this legislation challenges a Federal agency's 
authority to choose which screens and tests to send to ICCVAM for 
review, and an agency's decision whether to refer a test to ICCVAM and 
whether to follow ICCVAM recommendations is within the agency's 
discretion.
  Furthermore, the bill will not have an impact on existing animal 
tests in existing federal regulatory programs. Its goal is to 
facilitate the appropriate validation of new, revised and alternative 
test methods for future use. using the ICCVAM to assess validation of 
these test methods can streamline

[[Page S11649]]

individual assessment by multiple agencies and enhance the scientific 
validity of these programs, thereby better protecting public health, 
and ensuring that laboratory animals used in these programs are not 
used in vain.
  Mrs. BOXER. I have one additional question for my colleague from 
Ohio. The legislation also creates a Scientific Advisory Committee, 
SAC, to advise ICCVAM, and provides that the SAC should be comprised of 
at least one representative from industry and one representative of a 
national animal protection organization.
  My understanding of this provision is that it is not exclusive, and 
that the SAC will also include at least one representative from the 
environmental community and one member from the public health community 
as equal voting members. I along with my colleague from Montana view 
this issue of equal representation as essential to this legislation.
  Can we have the commitment of the Senator from Ohio that at least one 
voting member of the SAC will be from the environmental or public 
health community?
  Mr. DeWINE. The Senator from California is correct that this 
provision is not meant to be exclusive, and she has my commitment this 
is the intent of this legislation and that the SAC can be comprised of 
at least one voting member from the environmental and one voting member 
from the public health community, in addition to the other members 
explicitly specified in the legislation.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 4281) was read the third time and passed.

                          ____________________