I 

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.

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 INTERNATIONAL USES OF AGRICUL4 TURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY TASK

6 FORCE.—There is established the ‘‘Federal Interagency 

7 Task Force to Promote the Benefits, Safety, and Potential 

8 Uses of Agricultural Biotechnology Overseas’’ (in this sec9 tion referred to as the ‘‘task force’’) for the purpose of 

10 improving interagency cooperation and to develop and dis11 seminate accurate written scientific information outside 

12 the United States on the benefits, safety, and potential 

13 uses of agricultural biotechnology. 

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

15 shall consist of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 

16 Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States 

17 Trade Representative, the Administrator of the United 

18 States Agency for International Development, and the Di19 rector of the National Science Foundation. The Secretary 

20 of State shall chair the task force. Members of the task 

21 force may designate a senior official from the appropriate 

22 participating Federal agency to attend meetings of the 

23 task force. 

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

25 shall coordinate the activities of the participating agencies 

26 regarding the following: 
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1 (1) Improved knowledge of foreign-assigned in2 dividuals from the participating agencies regarding 

3 the safety and potential of biotechnology-derived ag4 ricultural products, including regulatory safeguards 

5 that assure food and environmental safety, for the 

6 purpose of encouraging the use of such bio7 technology-derived agricultural products by foreign 

8 countries. 

9 (2) Expanded dissemination outside the United 

10 States by participating agencies of scientifically11 based facts regarding the safety and potential of bio12 technology-derived agricultural products. 

13 (3) Improved ability of the participating agen14 cies to advocate to foreign countries the benefits 

15 that agricultural biotechnology can potentially pro16 vide for human and animal nutrition, the environ17 ment, crop productivity, and agricultural sustain18 ability. 

19 (4) Achievement of a better understanding by 

20 foreign countries of the potential benefits of agricul21 tural biotechnology to develop products that can be 

22 grown under local soil and climate conditions and 

23 better meet the health and nutritional needs of local 

24 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 bian3 nually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit 

4 to Congress a report on the activities undertaken by 

5 the task force and the participating agencies to pro6 mote the benefits, safety, and potential uses of agri7 cultural biotechnology outside the United States. 

8 (2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each report submitted 

9 under paragraph (1) shall include a description of 

10 the Following: 

11 (A) Measures taken to coordinate and com12 municate, as appropriate, the scientific evidence 

13 on the benefits, safety, and potential uses of ag14 ricultural biotechnology outside the United 

15 States. 

16 (B) Progress made toward achieving co17 ordination under subsection (c). 

18 (C) The success of efforts coordinated 

19 under subsection (c). 

20 (D) Efforts to advance the goals of sub21 section (c) in developing nations. 

22 (E) Recommendations to improve the ac23 tivities of the participating agencies pertaining 
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1 to communicating benefits, safety, and potential 

2 uses of biotechnology outside the United States.

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