I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3472

To establish a Federal interagency task force to promote the benefits, safety, 

and potential uses of agricultural biotechnology to improve human and 

animal nutrition, increase crop productivity, and improve agricultural 

sustainability while ensuring the safety of food and the environment. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 6, 2003

Mr. SMITH of Michigan (for himself, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. 

REHBERG, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BEREUTER, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. HALL, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. 

LOFGREN, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. BALLENGER, 

Mr. CHABOT, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr. HYDE, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, 

Mr. ROHRABACHER, and Mr. WELLER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL

To establish a Federal interagency task force to promote 

the benefits, safety, and potential uses of agricultural 

biotechnology to improve human and animal nutrition, 

increase crop productivity, and improve agricultural sustainability while ensuring the safety of food and the 

environment.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO PRO2 MOTE THE BENEFITS, SAFETY, AND POTEN3 TIAL USES OF AGRICULTURAL BIO4 TECHNOLOGY. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE

6 TO PROMOTE BENEFITS, SAFETY, AND POTENTIAL USES

7 OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY.—There is estab8 lished the ‘‘Federal Interagency Task Force to Promote 

9 the Benefits, Safety, and Potential Uses of Agricultural 

10 Biotechnology’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘task 

11 force’’) for the purpose of improving interagency coopera12 tion and to develop and disseminate accurate written sci13 entific information on the benefits, safety, and potential 

14 uses of agricultural biotechnology. 

15 (b) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the task force 

16 shall consist of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary 

17 of State, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States 

18 Trade Representative, the Administrator of the United 

19 States Agency for International Development, and the Di20 rector of the National Science Foundation. The Secretary 

21 of Agriculture shall chair the task force. Members of the 

22 task force may designate a senior official from the appro23 priate participating Federal agency to attend meetings of 

24 the task force. 
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1 (c) OBJECTIVES OF TASK FORCE.—The task force 

2 shall coordinate the activities of the participating agencies 

3 regarding the following: 

4 (1) Improved knowledge of foreign-assigned in5 dividuals from the participating agencies regarding 

6 the safety and potential of biotechnology-derived ag7 ricultural products, including regulatory safeguards 

8 that assure food and environmental safety. 

9 (2) Expanded dissemination by participating 

10 agencies of scientifically-based facts regarding the 

11 safety and potential of biotechnology-derived agricul12 tural products. 

13 (3) Improved ability of the participating agen14 cies to advocate to foreign countries, including devel15 oping nations, the benefits that agricultural bio16 technology can potentially provide for human and 

17 animal nutrition, the environment, crop productivity, 

18 and agricultural sustainability. 

19 (4) Achievement of a better understanding by 

20 foreign countries, including developing nations, of 

21 the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology to 

22 develop products that can be grown under local soil 

23 and climate conditions and better meet the health 

24 and nutritional needs of local populations. 

25 (d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
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1 (1) SUBMISSION.—Not later than one year after 

2 the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 

3 thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit 

4 to the congressional committees specified in para5 graph (3) a report on the activities undertaken by 

6 the task force and the participating agencies to pro7 mote the benefits, safety, and potential uses of agri8 cultural biotechnology. 

9 (2) CONTENT.—Each report under paragraph 

10 (1) shall include information from each member of 

11 the task force regarding the measures taken, and 

12 progress made, to achieve the objectives of the task 

13 force described in subsection (c). 

14 (3) CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—Each re15 port under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the 

16 following congressional committees: 

17 (A) The Committee on Agriculture of the 

18 House of Representatives. 

19 (B) The Committee of Energy and Com20 merce of the House of Representatives. 

21 (C) The Committee on International Rela22 tions of the House of Representatives. 

23 (D) The Committee on Science of the 

24 House of Representatives. 
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1 (E) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutri2 tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 

3 (F) The Committee on Commerce, Science, 

4 and Transportation of the Senate. 

5 (G) The Committee on Foreign Relations 

6 of the Senate. 

7 (e) DURATION.—The task force shall terminate 10 

8 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

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