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.
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 INTERNATIONAL USES OF AGRICUL-
TURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY. 
(a) 
ESTABLISHMENT
OF
INTERAGENCY
TASK 
FORCE.—There is established the ‘‘Federal Interagency 
Task Force to Promote the Benefits, Safety, and Potential 
Uses of Agricultural Biotechnology Overseas’’ (in this sec-
tion referred to as the ‘‘task force’’) for the purpose of 
improving interagency cooperation and to develop and dis-
seminate accurate written scientific information outside 
the United States on the benefits, safety, and potential 
uses of agricultural biotechnology. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The members of the task force 
shall consist of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
Agriculture, 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 State shall chair the task force. Members of the task 
force may designate a senior official from the appropriate 
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, for the 
purpose of encouraging the use of such bio-
technology-derived agricultural products by foreign 
countries. 
(2) Expanded dissemination outside the United 
States by participating agencies of scientifically-
based facts regarding the safety and potential of bio-
technology-derived agricultural products. 
(3) Improved ability of the participating agen-
cies to advocate to foreign countries the benefits 
that agricultural biotechnology can potentially pro-
vide for human and animal nutrition, the environ-
ment, crop productivity, and agricultural sustain-
ability. 
(4) Achievement of a better understanding by 
foreign countries of the potential benefits of agricul-
tural 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 bian-
nually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit 
to Congress 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 outside the United States. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each report submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include a description of 
the Following: 
(A) Measures taken to coordinate and com-
municate, as appropriate, the scientific evidence 
on the benefits, safety, and potential uses of ag-
ricultural biotechnology outside the United 
States. 
(B) Progress made toward achieving co-
ordination under subsection (c). 
(C) The success of efforts coordinated 
under subsection (c). 
(D) Efforts to advance the goals of sub-
section (c) in developing nations. 
(E) Recommendations to improve the ac-
tivities of the participating agencies pertaining
to communicating benefits, safety, and potential 
uses of biotechnology outside the United States.
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