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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2051 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2051

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                 May 15 (legislative day, May 9), 2002

     Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 
  To authorize the National Science Foundation to establish regional 
 centers for the purpose of plant genome and gene expression research 
    and development and international research partnerships for the 
      advancement of plant biotechnology in the developing world.

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

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the 
        National Science Foundation;
            (2) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and
            (3) the term ``nonprofit organization'' means a nonprofit 
        research institute or a nonprofit association with experience 
        and capability in plant biotechnology research as determined by 
        the Director.

SEC. 2. MATCHING FUNDS.

    The Director may establish matching fund requirements for grantees 
to receive grants under this Act.

SEC. 3. PLANT GENOME AND GENE EXPRESSION RESEARCH CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall award grants to consortia of 
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or both) 
to establish regional plant genome and gene expression research 
centers. Grants shall be awarded under this section on a merit-
reviewed, competitive basis. When making awards, the Director shall, to 
the extent practicable, ensure that the program created by this section 
examines as many different agricultural environments as possible.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the centers established pursuant to 
subsection (a) shall be to conduct research in plant genomics and plant 
gene expression. A center's activities may include--
            (1) basic plant genomics research and genomics 
        applications, including those related to cultivation of crops 
        in extreme environments and to cultivation of crops with 
        reduced reliance on fertilizer;
            (2) basic research that will contribute to the development 
        or use of innovative plant-derived products;
            (3) basic research on alternative uses for plants and plant 
        materials, including the use of plants as renewable feedstock 
        for alternative energy production and nonpetroleum-based 
        industrial chemicals and precursors; and
            (4) basic research and dissemination of information on the 
        ecological and other consequences of genetically engineered 
        plants.

SEC. 4. PARTNERSHIPS FOR PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE DEVELOPING WORLD.

    (a) In General.--(1) The Director shall award grants to 
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or consortia 
of such entities to establish research partnerships for supporting the 
development of plant biotechnology targeted to the needs of the 
developing world. The Director, by means of outreach, shall encourage 
inclusion of Historically Black Colleges or Universities, Hispanic-
serving institutions, or tribal colleges or universities in consortia 
that enter into such partnerships.
    (2) In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, 
an institution of higher education or eligible nonprofit organization 
(or consortium thereof) shall enter into a partnership with one or more 
research institutions in one or more developing nations and may also 
include for-profit companies involved in plant biotechnology.
    (3) Grants under this section shall be awarded on a merit-reviewed 
competitive basis.
    (b) Purpose.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used for 
support of research in plant biotechnology targeted to the needs of the 
developing world. Such activities may include--
            (1) basic genomic research on crops grown in the developing 
        world;
            (2) basic research in plant biotechnology that will advance 
        and expedite the development of improved cultivars, including 
        those that are pest-resistant, produce increased yield, reduce 
        the need for fertilizers, or increase tolerance to stress;
            (3) basic research that could lead to the development of 
        technologies to produce pharmaceutical compounds such as 
        vaccines and medications in plants that can be grown in the 
        developing world; and
            (4) research on the impact of plant biotechnology on the 
        social, political, economic, and environmental conditions in 
        countries in the developing world.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science 
Foundation $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $13,500,000 for fiscal year 
2003, and $13,500,000 for fiscal year 2004 to carry out this Act.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 14, 2002.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.
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