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 Vir-
ginia, 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 sus-
tainability while ensuring the safety of food and the 
environment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE TO PRO-
MOTE THE BENEFITS, SAFETY, AND POTEN-
TIAL 
USES 
OF 
AGRICULTURAL 
BIO-
TECHNOLOGY. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE 
TO PROMOTE BENEFITS, SAFETY, AND POTENTIAL USES 
OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY.—There is estab-
lished the ‘‘Federal Interagency Task Force to Promote 
the Benefits, Safety, and Potential Uses of Agricultural 
Biotechnology’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘task 
force’’) for the purpose of improving interagency coopera-
tion and to develop and disseminate accurate written sci-
entific information on the benefits, safety, and potential 
uses of agricultural biotechnology. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the task force 
shall consist of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary 
of State, the Secretary of Commerce, the United States 
Trade Representative, the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, and the Di-
rector of the National Science Foundation. The Secretary 
of Agriculture shall chair the task force. Members of the 
task force may designate a senior official from the appro-
priate participating Federal agency to attend meetings of 
the task force.
(c) OBJECTIVES OF TASK FORCE.—The task force 
shall coordinate the activities of the participating agencies 
regarding the following: 
(1) Improved knowledge of foreign-assigned in-
dividuals from the participating agencies regarding 
the safety and potential of biotechnology-derived ag-
ricultural products, including regulatory safeguards 
that assure food and environmental safety. 
(2) Expanded dissemination by participating 
agencies of scientifically-based facts regarding the 
safety and potential of biotechnology-derived agricul-
tural products. 
(3) Improved ability of the participating agen-
cies to advocate to foreign countries, including devel-
oping nations, the benefits that agricultural bio-
technology can potentially provide for human and 
animal nutrition, the environment, crop productivity, 
and agricultural sustainability. 
(4) Achievement of a better understanding by 
foreign countries, including developing nations, of 
the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology to 
develop products that can be grown under local soil 
and climate conditions and better meet the health 
and nutritional needs of local populations. 
(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—
(1) SUBMISSION.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit 
to the congressional committees specified in para-
graph (3) a report on the activities undertaken by 
the task force and the participating agencies to pro-
mote the benefits, safety, and potential uses of agri-
cultural biotechnology. 
(2) CONTENT.—Each report under paragraph 
(1) shall include information from each member of 
the task force regarding the measures taken, and 
progress made, to achieve the objectives of the task 
force described in subsection (c). 
(3) CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES.—Each re-
port under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the 
following congressional committees: 
(A) The Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives. 
(B) The Committee of Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives. 
(C) The Committee on International Rela-
tions of the House of Representatives. 
(D) The Committee on Science of the 
House of Representatives.
(E) The Committee on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry of the Senate. 
(F) The Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate. 
(G) The Committee on Foreign Relations 
of the Senate. 
(e) DURATION.—The task force shall terminate 10 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Æ