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107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3293
To establish a coordinated program of science-based countermeasures to
address the threats of agricultural bioterrorism.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 14, 2001
Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma (for himself and Mr. WATKINS of Oklahoma) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agri-
culture
A BILL
To establish a coordinated program of science-based counter-
measures to address the threats of agricultural bioter-
rorism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘Agricultural Bioterrorism Countermeasures Act of
2001’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes.
Sec. 3. Biosecurity upgrades at Department of Agriculture and related facili-
ties.
Sec. 4. Intramural agricultural bioterrorism research and development.
Sec. 5. Consortium for countermeasures against agricultural bioterrorism.
Sec. 6. Agricultural bioterrorism competitive research grants.
Sec. 7. Expansion of Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service activities.
Sec. 8. Expansion of Food Safety Inspection Service activities.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
(1) The events of September 11, 2001, have
heightened awareness of the threat of acts of bioter-
rorism, including attacks directed at the domestic
food supply and underlying agriculture.
(2) Evidence of access to and rudimentary ex-
periments with chemical and biological agents and
the reported interest in the operation of cropdusting
aircraft point to possible terrorist intent to use bio-
logical or chemical weapons.
(3) An attack of agricultural bioterrorism would
pose serious challenges such as—
(A) hazards to human health;
(B) erosion of public confidence in the
safety of the domestic food supply; and
(C) damage to the economy.
(4) It is important to develop short- and long-
term strategies and supporting technology to more
effectively and efficiently protect the domestic food
supply from acts of bioterrorism.
(5) A program of ongoing research and develop-
ment is required to reduce the vulnerability of plant
and animal agriculture and the food supply.
(6) It is critical to bring Federal, academic, and
private sector capacities to bear on the threat of ag-
ricultural bioterrorism.
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
(1) to strengthen the research and development
capacity of the United States to respond to the
threat of agricultural bioterrorism;
(2) to promote the collaboration between the
Federal, academic, and private sectors in addressing
agricultural bioterrorism; and
(3) to strengthen the capacity of regulatory
agencies to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the
consequences of a bioterrorist attack.
SEC. 3. BIOSECURITY UPGRADES AT DEPARTMENT OF AG-
RICULTURE AND RELATED FACILITIES.
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture $870,000,000 to enable the Agricultural Research
Service to comply with the requirements of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture’s biosecurity responsibilities under
Presidential Directive 67 with respect to the conduct of
activities to secure existing facilities where potential ani-
mal and plant pathogens are housed or researched and
to improve food safety research activities.
(b) DISTRIBUTION OF AMOUNTS.—The amounts ap-
propriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations
in subsection (a) shall be made available as follows:
(1) $220,000,000 shall be made available for
renovation, update, and expansion of the Biosafety
Level 3 laboratory and animal research facilities at
the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (Greenport,
New York).
(2) $385,000,000 shall be made available for
the Agricultural Research Service/Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service facility in Ames, Iowa.
(3) $106,000,000 shall be made available for
the planning and design of an Agricultural Research
Service biocontainment laboratory for poultry re-
search in Athens, Georgia.
(4) $9,000,000 shall be made available for the
planning, updating, and renovation of the Arthro-
pod-Bome Animal Disease Laboratory in Laramie,
Wyoming.
(5) $120,000,000 shall be made available for
collaborative research with the Oklahoma City Na-
tional Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Ter-
rorism, the Department of Justice, and other law
enforcement and emergency preparedness organiza-
tions.
(6) $10,000,000 shall be made available for the
purchase of rapid detection field test kits to be dis-
tributed by the Secretary of Agriculture to State and
local 
agencies 
engaged 
in 
defending 
against
agroterrorism and the training of appropriate au-
thorities.
(7) $20,000,000 shall be made available for the
updating, expansion, and renovation of the Bio-
sensor Technologies Research Center at Oklahoma
State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
SEC. 4. INTRAMURAL AGRICULTURAL BIOTERRORISM RE-
SEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
expand Agricultural Research Service programs to protect
the domestic food supply by—
(1) enhancing the capability to respond imme-
diately to the needs of regulatory agencies involved
in protecting the food supply;
(2) cooperating with academic and private sec-
tor partners to maximize the impact of research and
development;
(3) strengthening linkages with the intelligence
community to better identify research needs and
evaluate acquired materials;
(4) expanding the involvement of the Agricul-
tural Research Service with international organiza-
tions dealing with plant and animal disease control;
and
(5) taking other appropriate measures.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$140,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
SEC. 5. CONSORTIUM FOR COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST
AGRICULTURAL BIOTERRORISM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Agriculture
shall establish a Consortium for Countermeasures Against
Agricultural Bioterrorism to help form stable long-term
programs of research, development, and evaluation of op-
tions to enhance the biosecurity of United States agri-
culture.
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Consortium shall be
comprised of institutions of higher education posi-
tioned to partner with Federal agencies to address
agricultural bioterrorism.
(2) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall designate for membership in the
Consortium—
(A) 3 institutions of higher education that
are 
national 
centers 
for 
countermeasures
against agricultural bioterrorism; and
(B) not more than 7 additional institutions
of higher education with existing programs re-
lating to agricultural bioterrorism.
(3) NATIONAL CENTERS.—The national centers
shall be selected using the following criteria:
(A) Co-location of Department of Agri-
culture laboratories or training centers with
member institutions.
(B) Demonstrated expertise in the area of
plant and animal diseases.
(C) Located at Land Grant Institutions
that have a College of Veterinary Medicine, an
on-site animal disease diagnostic laboratory,
and the capability to conduct on-site training
and training via distance education technology.
(D) Close coordination with State coopera-
tive extension programs that work in coopera-
tion with industry, farm and commodity organi-
zations, and regulatory agencies.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
SEC. 6. AGRICULTURAL BIOTERRORISM COMPETITIVE RE-
SEARCH GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
enhance the National Research Initiative of the Competi-
tive Grants Program of the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service by awarding grants fo-
cused on the science and technology needed to protect
against and deal with acts of bioterrorism directed at the
domestic food supply and agriculture.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH IN-
SPECTION SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
enhance and expand the capacity of the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service by—
(1) increasing inspection capacity at inter-
national points of origin;
(2) improving surveillance at ports of entry and
customs;
(3) enhancing methods of protecting against in-
troduction of plant and animal disease organisms by
terrorists;
(4) adopting new strategies and technology for
dealing with outbreaks of plant and animal disease
arising from acts of terrorism or from unintentional
introduction, 
including 
establishing 
cooperative
agreements among entities described in subsection
(b) to enhance the preparedness and ability of Vet-
erinary Services of the Animal and Plant Health In-
spection Service and such entities to respond to out-
breaks of such animal diseases;
(5) strengthening the planning and coordination
with State and local agencies, including the entities
described in subsection (b); and
(6) taking other appropriate measures.
(b) COOPERATING ENTITIES.—The entities referred
to in paragraphs (4) and (5) of subsection (a) are the fol-
lowing:
(1) Veterinary Services of the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.
(2) State animal health commissions and regu-
latory agencies for livestock and poultry health.
(3) State agriculture departments.
(4) Accredited colleges of veterinary medicine
that are co-located with an accredited animal disease
diagnostic laboratory and connected via high speed
internet to national animal disease laboratories (to
facilitate telemedicine sharing of necropsy images
and histopathology images), animal diagnostic cen-
ters, State departments of public health, and the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
(5) Private veterinary practitioners.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$140,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
SEC. 8. EXPANSION OF FOOD SAFETY INSPECTION SERVICE
ACTIVITIES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall
enhance and expand the capacity of the Food Safety In-
spection Service by—
(1) enhancing the ability to inspect and ensure
the safety and wholesomeness of meat and poultry
products;
(2) developing new methods for rapid detection
and identification of diseases and other hazardous
agents;
(3) applying new technologies to improve ante
mortem and post mortem inspection procedures;
(4) improving the capacity to inspect inter-
national meat and poultry products at points of ori-
gin and at ports of entry; and
(5) strengthening collaboration among agencies
within the Department of Agriculture and in other
parts of Federal and State government through the
sharing of information and technology.
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$140,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007.
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