II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3799 

To require the Department of Homeland Security to regulate retail sales 

of hydrogen cyanide and its salts, and to require the Department of 

Homeland Security and Department of Justice to conduct a joint study 

about the risk of use of commercial products including cyanide by terrorists and potential preventative regulations. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2006 

Mr. SCHUMER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Department of Homeland Security to regulate 

retail sales of hydrogen cyanide and its salts, and to 

require the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to conduct a joint study about the 

risk of use of commercial products including cyanide 

by terrorists and potential preventative regulations. 

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 ‘‘Cyanide Safety Act 

5 of 2006’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT TO LICENSE AND RECORD. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu3 rity (referred to in this Act as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall issue 

4 such regulations as may be necessary to— 

5 (1) require any person who sells or otherwise 

6 transfers, at a retail level, hydrogen cyanide and its 

7 salts to obtain a license for such sale from the Sec8 retary; and 

9 (2) require any person who sells or otherwise 

10 transfers, at a retail level, hydrogen cyanide and its 

11 salts to record such sale or transfer, including the 

12 identity of the person purchasing or otherwise re13 ceiving such cyanide, the address for such person, 

14 and the intended use of such cyanide. 

15 (b) RECORDS.—Records collected pursuant to this 

16 section shall be available for such use, and retained for 

17 such period, as the Secretary shall by regulation require. 

18 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary and the Attorney 

20 General shall conduct a study of the manufacturing and 

21 distribution process of cyanide with a view to determining 

22 methods, procedures, or other actions which might be 

23 taken, employed, or otherwise carried out in connection 

24 with such manufacturing and distribution in order to safe25 guard the public from the wrongful use of cyanide with 

26 a focus on such use by terrorists. 


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1 (b) FOCUS OF STUDY.—The study required by sub2 section (a) shall include— 

3 (1) an assessment of the risks of commercial 

4 products that contain cyanide and how they might 

5 be used by terrorists; 

6 (2) a determination of the sources of cyanide, 

7 including the name and location of each manufac8 turer thereof; 

9 (3) an evaluation of the means and methods 

10 utilized by the manufacturer and others in the dis11 tribution of cyanide, including the name and location 

12 of each such distributor; 

13 (4) an evaluation of the procedures employed in 

14 connection with the selling, at the wholesale and re15 tail level, of cyanide, including a determination as to 

16 whether or not persons selling cyanide require the 

17 intended purchaser to identify himself or herself; 

18 (5) a determination as to the extent to which 

19 recordkeeping requirements are imposed on, or car20 ried out by, manufacturers of cyanide with respect 

21 to the specifications of each lot of cyanide produced 

22 by such manufacturer; 

23 (6) a determination as to the feasibility and de24 sirability of establishing a central registry of all lot 

25 specifications of cyanide for the purpose of providing 


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1 quick access to investigative and law enforcement 

2 agencies; 

3 (7) a consideration and review of all aspects of 

4 the matter of interstate versus intrastate to the ex5 tent that it involves the manufacturing, distribution, 

6 or use of cyanide; 

7 (8) a determination as to the feasibility and de8 sirability of requiring limited-access storage for cya9 nide at universities, laboratories, and other institu10 tions that use cyanide for research or other pur11 poses; and 

12 (9) a determination as to the feasibility and de13 sirability of regulating, in accordance with the provi14 sions of section 1, other chemicals that are com15 monly available and pose a significant risk if used 

16 by terrorists. 

17 (c) REPORT.—On or before the expiration of the 270- 

18 day period following the date of the enactment of this Act, 

19 the Secretary and the Attorney General shall report the 

20 results of such study to Congress, together with their rec21 ommendations with respect thereto. 


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1 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

3 as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this 

4 Act. 

Æ 


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