Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2008

A bill to reauthorize the Select Agent Program by amending the Public Health Service Act and the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 and to improve oversight of high containment laboratories.

6/12/2008--Introduced.
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 "variola virus." 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.


... morehide bill summarySee Full Bill Text

Sponsor

• Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]
• and 3 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
  • Sen. Edward Kennedy [D, MA]
  • Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
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Committees

• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.3127

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
June 12, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Jun 12, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• Introduced on Jun 12, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.6671

Related Issue Areas:

• Virus diseases
• Toxicology
• Terrorism
• Standards
• 25 more
• Smallpox
• Security measures
• Science policy
• Research and development facilities
• Medical laboratories
• Medical care
• Laboratories
• Job training
• Governmental investigations
• Government paperwork
• Government information
• Executive departments
• Employee training
• Emergency medicine
• Emergency management
• Department of Homeland Security
• Defense policy
• Criminal justice
• Communicable diseases
• Budgets
• Biological warfare
• Biological research
• Authorization
• Armed forces
• Medicine

Data from the Congressional Research Service

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Blog Coverage

June 11, 2008 S. 3127, A bill to reauthorize the Select Agent Program by ...

S. 3127 would reauthorize the Select Agent Program by amending the Public Health Service Act and the Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002 and to improve oversight of high containment laboratories. ...

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