I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2508
To authorize a plant pathogen genomics research program at the Department
of Agriculture to reduce the economic impact of plant pathogens on
commercially important crop plants.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 17, 2001
Mr. SMITH of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Agriculture
A BILL
To authorize a plant pathogen genomics research program
at the Department of Agriculture to reduce the economic
impact of plant pathogens on commercially important
crop plants.
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 ‘‘Plant Pathogen Ge-
nome Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Plant pathogens cause significant economic
damage to the Nation’s agricultural production by
direct reduction of yields and by marketing and ex-
port losses.
(2) Each year, the Nation’s farmers and or-
chardists suffer billions of dollars in lost yields and
lost marketing opportunities.
(3) Economic losses caused by plant pathogens
threaten the economic viability of many farm com-
munities.
(4) Plant pathogens, such as species of Fusar-
ium, also can pose serious health risks to consumers.
(5) The plant genome program has been suc-
cessful in discovering new knowledge about the
structure, organization, and function of plant
genomes important to science and agriculture and in
developing the tools and capabilities needed to study
complex genomes. These and other efforts have led
to the development of new varieties of plants that re-
sist pathogens and other pests.
(6) The Department of Agriculture should take
advantage of new knowledge and technologies devel-
oped through other federally funded genome re-
search programs to improve our understanding of
plant pathogens.
(7) The Department of Agriculture should de-
velop and implement a research initiative to se-
quence the genomes of plant pathogens of economic,
environmental, and health importance, to identify
the functions of important genes, and to develop im-
proved strategies to reduce the impact of plant
pathogens on United States agriculture.
SEC. 3. PLANT PATHOGEN GENOME INITIATIVE.
The Secretary of Agriculture (hereinafter referred to
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall establish a joint research pro-
gram within the Agricultural Research Service and the Co-
operative State Research, Education, and Extension Serv-
ice’s National Research Initiative Grants Program for the
following purposes:
(1) To sequence the genomes of plant patho-
gens that have a significant agricultural, environ-
mental, or health impact.
(2) To determine the function of individual
genes and associated metabolic pathways for the
sequenced plant pathogens.
(3) To enhance bioinformation capabilities in
plant pathogen genomics.
(4) To ensure that the information developed
under the program is accessible to the broader sci-
entific, agricultural, and industrial communities.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through
2006 to carry out this Act.
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