I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 726
To require licenses for the sale, purchase, and distribution of certain chemicals 
that are precursors to chemical weapons, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2003
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. ISRAEL, Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. CASE, Mr. BISHOP of New York, and Mr. OWENS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require licenses for the sale, purchase, and distribution 
of certain chemicals that are precursors to chemical 
weapons, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Chemical Attack Pre-
vention Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘chemical weapon precursor’’ 
means a Schedule 1 chemical agent or a Schedule 2
chemical agent, as such terms are defined in section 
3 of the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementa-
tion Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6701). 
(2) The term ‘‘licensee’’ means a person holding 
a license under this Act. 
(3) The term ‘‘qualified person’’ means a per-
son found by the Secretary to meet such qualifica-
tions as the Secretary may, by rule, prescribe to pro-
tect the public health and safety from the misuse of 
chemical weapon precursors. No person who has 
been convicted of a criminal offense under this Act 
or under any similar or related provision of Federal 
or State law shall be a qualified person for purposes 
of this Act. 
(4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Commerce. 
SEC. 3. LICENSE REQUIRED. 
After December 31, 2003, no person may purchase, 
sell, or distribute in interstate commerce any chemical 
weapon precursor unless such person is licensed under sec-
tion 4. 
SEC. 4. ISSUANCE OF LICENSES. 
(a) APPLICATION.—Any qualified person may submit 
to the Secretary an application for a license to purchase,
sell, or distribute in interstate commerce a chemical weap-
on precursor. 
(b) ISSUANCE.—Upon receiving an application con-
taining such information as the Secretary may require, the 
Secretary is authorized to issue a license to such person 
to purchase, sell, or distribute in interstate commerce a 
chemical weapon precursor if the Secretary finds that such 
person is a qualified person and if such person agrees to 
comply with this Act and the regulations under this Act. 
(c) TERM; REVOCATION.—A license under this sec-
tion shall remain in effect for such term as the Secretary 
may prescribe, except that the Secretary may at any time 
revoke such license if the Secretary determines that the 
licensee has failed or refused to comply with this Act or 
any regulation under this Act. 
SEC. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR MAINTENANCE OF LICENSE. 
Each licensee shall comply with each of the following 
requirements and such other requirements as the Sec-
retary may establish by rule to carry out the purposes of 
this Act: 
(1) The licensee shall report any suspicious pur-
chases of chemical weapon precursors. 
(2) The licensee shall maintain and make avail-
able to the Secretary and to Federal, State, and 
local law enforcement authorities records of the pur-
chase, sale, or distribution of chemical weapon pre-
cursors. Such records shall be in such form and shall 
contain such information as the Secretary shall, by 
rule, prescribe. 
SEC. 6. PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION. 
Any person who violates any provision of this Act or 
any regulation under this Act shall be subject to a civil 
penalty of not more than $10,000 for a first offense and 
not more than $20,000 for a second or subsequent offense. 
If such violation was intentional, such person shall be sub-
ject to a criminal penalty of up to 10 years in prison in 
addition to such civil penalties.
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