I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5608
To provide for the testing of chronic wasting disease and other infectious
disease in deer and elk herds, to establish the Interagency Task Force
on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
OCTOBER 10, 2002
Ms. BALDWIN (for herself and Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in
addition to the Committee on Resources, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for the testing of chronic wasting disease and
other infectious disease in deer and elk herds, to estab-
lish the Interagency Task Force on Epizootic Hemor-
rhagic Disease, 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 ‘‘Comprehensive Wild-
life Disease Testing Acceleration Act of 2002’’.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) CHRONIC
WASTING
DISEASE.—The term
‘‘chronic wasting disease’’ means the animal disease
that afflicts deer and elk—
(A) that is a transmissible disease of the
nervous system resulting in distinctive lesions in
the brain; and
(B) that belongs to the group of diseases—
(i) that is known as transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies; and
(ii) that includes scrapie, bovine
spongiform 
encephalopathy, 
and
Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease.
(2) EPIZOOTIC
HEMORRHAGIC
DISEASE.—The
term ‘‘epizootic hemorrhagic disease’’ means the ani-
mal 
disease 
afflicting 
deer 
and 
other 
wild
ruminants—
(A) that is an insect-borne transmissible
viral disease; and
(B) 
that 
results 
in 
spontaneous
hemorraging in the muscles and organs of the
afflicted animals.
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(4) TASK
FORCE.—The term ‘‘Task Force’’
means the Interagency Task Force on Epizootic
Hemorrhagic Disease established by section 4(a).
SEC. 3. CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE SAMPLING GUIDE-
LINES AND TESTING PROTOCOL.
(a) SAMPLING GUIDELINES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall issue guidelines for the collection of animal tis-
sue by Federal, State, tribal, and local agencies for
testing for chronic wasting disease.
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Guidelines issued under
paragraph (1) shall—
(A) include procedures for the stabilization
of tissue samples for transport to a laboratory
for assessment; and
(B) be updated as the Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate.
(b) TESTING PROTOCOL.—Not later than 30 days
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
issue a protocol to be used in the laboratory assessment
of samples of animal tissue that may be contaminated with
chronic wasting disease.
(c) LABORATORY CERTIFICATION AND INSPECTION
PROGRAM.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall establish a program for the certification and
inspection of Federal and non-Federal laboratories
(including private laboratories) under which the Sec-
retary shall authorize laboratories certified under the
program to conduct tests for chronic wasting dis-
ease.
(2) VERIFICATION.—In carrying out the pro-
gram established under paragraph (1), the Secretary
may require that the results of any tests conducted
by private laboratories shall be verified by Federal
laboratories.
(d) DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TESTS.—Not later than
45 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall accelerate research into—
(1) the development of animal tests for chronic
wasting disease, including—
(A) tests for live animals; and
(B) field diagnostic tests; and
(2) the development of testing protocols that re-
duce laboratory test processing time.
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE ON EPIZOOTIC HEMOR-
RHAGIC DISEASE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established a Federal
interagency task force to be known as the ‘‘Interagency
Task Force on Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease’’ to coordi-
nate activities to prevent the outbreak of epizootic hemor-
rhagic disease and related diseases in the United States.
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be com-
posed of—
(1) the Secretary, who shall serve as the chair-
person of the Task Force;
(2) the Secretary of the Interior;
(3) the Secretary of Commerce;
(4) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices;
(5) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(6) the Commissioner of Food and Drugs;
(7) the Director of the National Institutes of
Health;
(8) the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention;
(9) the Commissioner of Customs; and
(10) the heads of any other Federal agencies
that the President determines to be appropriate.
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Task Force shall submit to
Congress a report that—
(1) describes any activities that are being car-
ried out, or that will be carried out, to prevent—
(A) the outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic
disease and related diseases in the United
States; and
(B) the spread or transmission of epizootic
hemorrhagic disease and related diseases to
dairy cattle or other livestock; and
(2) includes recommendations for—
(A) legislation that should be enacted or
regulations that should be promulgated to pre-
vent the outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic dis-
ease and related diseases in the United States;
and
(B) coordination of the surveillance of and
diagnostic testing for epizootic hemorrhagic dis-
ease, chronic wasting disease, and related dis-
eases.
SEC. 5. FUNDING.
To carry out this Act, the Secretary may use funds
made available to the Secretary for administrative pur-
poses.
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