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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 730

To establish a National Center for Biological Resources (Research and Development) to facilitate the collection, synthesis, and dissemination of information relating to the sustainable use, research, development, and conservation of biological resources.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 2, 1993

Mrs. MORELLA introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the

Committees on Merchant Marine and Fisheries and Science, Space, and

Technology

A BILL

To establish a National Center for Biological Resources (Research and Development) to facilitate the collection, synthesis, and dissemination of information relating to the

sustainable use, research, development, and conservation

of biological resources.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Biological

5 Resources Research and Development Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—
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1 (1) existing information regarding the abun2 dance and distribution of biological resources is in3 adequate and often inaccessible;

4 (2) the loss of biological resources may have se5 rious consequences for human welfare as raw mate6 rial for research and agricultural, medicinal, and in7 dustrial development are irretrievably lost;

8 (3) existing laws and programs relevant to the

9 loss of indigenous biological resources in the United

10 States are largely uncoordinated and inadequate,

11 and sometimes result in duplication of efforts, con12 flicts in goals, and gaps in geographic and taxo13 nomic coverage; and,

14 (4) increased research in biological resources is

15 needed to provide adequate knowledge to maintain

16 and to ensure the sustainable use of natural re17 sources.

18 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

19 For purposes of this Act—

20 (1) the term ‘‘biological resources’’ means the

21 full range of variety and variability within and

22 among living organisms (including both terrestrial

23 and aquatic) and the ecological complexes in which

24 they occur, and encompasses ecosystem or commu25 nity diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity;
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1 (2) the term ‘‘genetic diversity’’ means the dif2 ferences in genetic composition within and among

3 populations of a given species;

4 (3) the term ‘‘species diversity’’ means the rich5 ness and variety of indigenous species in a particular

6 location of the world;

7 (4) the term ‘‘community diversity’’ means the

8 variety between different integrated assemblages of

9 species inhabiting different locales; and

10 (5) the term ‘‘United States’’ means all of the

11 several States, the District of Columbia, the Com12 monwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin

13 Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern

14 Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and any other

15 commonwealth, territory, possession, or area of legal

16 or economic jurisdiction of the United States.

17 SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

18 It is the purpose of this Act—

19 (1) to undertake a nationally coordinated effort

20 to survey, collect, inventory, synthesize, and dissemi21 nate adequate data and information for—

22 (A) the understanding of the full range of

23 biological resources;

24 (B) assessing the rate and scale of change

25 in biological resources;
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1 (C) developing tests and making available

2 cost effective methodologies for scientific and

3 economic inventories of biological resources; and

4 (D) evaluating the potential economic im5 plications of the sustainable use of biological re6 sources.

7 (2) to support basic and applied research nec8 essary for a full understanding of the nation’s bio9 logical resources; and

10 (3) to promote better understanding of the im11 portance of biological resources and foster actions

12 that prevent biological impoverishment and

13 sustainably preserve biological resources.

14 SEC. 5. NATIONAL CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

15 (RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT).

16 (a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—There is es17 tablished within the Smithsonian Institution, in coopera18 tion with the Environmental Protection Agency and the

19 National Science Foundation, a National Center for Bio20 logical Resources (Research and Development) (the Cen21 ter), whose purpose shall be to set research priorities, to

22 provide leadership and coordination for the understanding

23 and promotion of knowledge of the biota within the United

24 States with respect to its composition, systematics, dis25 tribution, status, biological properties, ecological relation-
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1 ships (including environmental significance), and economic

2 value, and the effect of human activities on the biota, and

3 to make this knowledge accessible to the people of the

4 United States and others working on research and devel5 opment in biological resources throughout the world. The

6 Center shall be administered by a Director.

7 (b) FUNCTIONS.—The functions of the Center shall

8 be—

9 (1) to summarize and enhance the knowledge of

10 the distribution, status, and characteristics of the

11 biota in a manner that can be used in the sustain12 able development of natural products;

13 (2) to prepare, with the assistance of agencies

14 and other sources, lists and, where appropriate,

15 maps of—

16 (A) indigenous biotic communities, species,

17 and populations that appear to be in significant

18 decline or in imminent danger of loss of viabil19 ity;

20 (B) areas of outstanding indigenous biotic

21 importance; and,

22 (C) factors, including the legal status and

23 applicable laws, affecting the potential develop24 ment of such communities, species, and popu25 lations;
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1 (3) to publish information, such as floral and

2 faunal treatises, resource inventories, vegetation

3 maps, atlases, and guides for practical use of biologi4 cal information, and especially publications that syn5 thesize information relevant to national goals of un6 derstanding biological resource use and its sustain7 able development;

8 (4) to identify taxonomic groups, ecological

9 communities, and geographical areas in need of

10 study, and to develop a strategic plan for, initiate,

11 and provide financial support toward an ongoing

12 survey of the biota;

13 (5) to provide for the conducting of research,

14 through grants, contracts, or otherwise, by Federal,

15 State, and private agencies, institutions, organiza16 tions, and individuals;

17 (6) to make recommendations to Federal agen18 cies and others on the technical management of data

19 collection, storage, and retrieval;

20 (7) to provide training and technical assistance

21 to Federal agencies and others regarding collection

22 and interpretation of biological data;

23 (8) to raise additional funds through grants

24 and contracts as necessary to support the activities

25 of the Center; and
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1 (9) to research and explore the development of

2 natural products.

3 (c) STRUCTURE AND MEMBERSHIP.—

4 (1) BOARD OF TRUSTEES.—There is established

5 in the Smithsonian Institution a Board of Trustees

6 to be known as the Trustees of the National Center

7 for Biological Resources (Research and Develop8 ment), which shall provide advice and assistance to

9 the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution

10 on all matters relating to the policies, administra11 tion, and operation of the Center.

12 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—(A) The Board of Trustees

13 shall consist of 19 members, including—

14 (i) one representative of the Smithsonian

15 Institution;

16 (ii) one representative of the Fish and

17 Wildlife Service;

18 (iii) one representative of the National

19 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;

20 (iv) one representative of the National

21 Park Service;

22 (v) one representative of the Department

23 of Energy;

24 (vi) one representative of the National

25 Science Foundation;
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1 (vii) one representative of the Agricultural

2 Research Service;

3 (viii) one representative of the Environ4 mental Protection Agency;

5 (ix) one representative of the Forest Serv6 ice;

7 (x) one representative of the Bureau of

8 Land Management;

9 (xi) one representative of the Department

10 of Defense;

11 (xii) one representative of State biological

12 surveys;

13 (xiii) one representative of private organi14 zations that maintain large data bases oriented

15 toward biological resource inventories;

16 (xiv) two scientists from nonprofit research

17 institutions or universities; and

18 (xv) two representatives from institutions

19 with collections of biological specimens; and

20 (xvi) two representatives from companies

21 that develop products from biotic resources.

22 (B) Members listed under clauses (xii) through

23 (xv) of subparagraph (A) shall be appointed by the

24 President from a list of nominees recommended by

25 the National Academy of Sciences.
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1 (3) TERMS.—Members of the Board of Trust2 ees shall serve for terms of five years, and may serve

3 more than one term.

4 (4) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—

5 (A) NONGOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—Each

6 member of the advisory board that is not other7 wise in the service of the Federal Government

8 shall, to the extent provided for in advance in

9 appropriations Acts, be paid actual travel ex10 penses and per diem in lieu of subsistence ex11 penses in accordance with section 5703 of title

12 5, United States Code, when such member is

13 away from the member’s usual place of resi14 dence.

15 (B) GOVERNMENT MEMBERS.—Each mem16 ber of the advisory board that is otherwise in

17 the service of the Federal Government shall

18 serve without compensation in addition to that

19 received for such other service, but while en20 gaged in the work of the Board of Trustees,

21 such member shall, to the extent provided for in

22 advance in appropriations Acts, be paid actual

23 travel expenses, and per diem in lieu of subsist24 ence expenses in accordance with subchapter I

25 of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code,
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1 when away from the member’s usual place of

2 residence.

3 (5) CHAIRMAN.—The members of the Board of

4 Trustees shall select one member to serve as Chair5 man.

6 (6) FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS.—The Director

7 of the Center shall make appropriate arrangements

8 for necessary administrative and clerical support of

9 the Board of Trustees, in consultation with the

10 Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

11 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There

12 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section

13 $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1994, $10,000,000 for fiscal

14 year 1995, and $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, to re15 main available until expended as specified in appropria16 tions Acts.

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