Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2008

Bill: 110-hr-6671
Sponsor: Rep. Harman, Jane [D-CA-36]
Introduced: 2008-07-30 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Armed Forces and National Security
Authorization
Biological research
Biological warfare
Communicable diseases
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Labor and Employment
Laboratories
Medical laboratories
Research and development facilities
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Smallpox
Standards
Terrorism
Toxicology
Virus diseases

Summary:
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: 
Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 to reauthorize appropriations for the Select Agent Program, which lists and controls biological agents and toxins that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety. Requires appropriate training of individuals handling or using such agents and toxins.

Includes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) among the federal agencies limited in the disclosure of information related to listed agents or toxins.

Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to review and make recommendations for improving the Select Agent Program.

Sets forth additional factors that the Secretary must consider in determining whether to list an agent or toxin, including whether the agent or toxin is endemic to the United States.

Requires the Secretary to issue guidance on inventorying and monitoring listed biological agents.

Directs the Attorney General to issue guidance regarding the scope of the statutory definition of &quot;variola virus.&quot; 

Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop guidelines for how laboratories and laboratory personnel that do not regularly test for listed agents and toxins may be rapidly accessed and utilized during emergencies; and (2) evaluate national needs of, and oversight of, high containment biological laboratories.

Provides for the development of minimum standards for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity training for relevant personnel of high containment biological laboratories.

Requires the Secretary to establish a Biological Laboratory Incident Reporting System.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-10-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1623)
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-07-30
text: Introduced in House