Introduction of the "Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2008"

INTRODUCTION OF THE "SELECT AGENT PROGRAM AND BIOSAFETY IMPROVEMENT                             ACT OF 2008"

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HON. JANE HARMAN

of california

in the house of representatives

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, today my colleague Mike Rogers of Michigan and I are introducing the House companion to a bill introduced by Senators Burr and Kennedy--the Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act. The bill will provide an important link in the chain of defenses needed to fight the potential threat of bioterrorism. The bill reauthorizes and updates the Select Agent Program, which limits access to and controls the transfer of dangerous biological agents and toxins. It requires the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the program, and recommend ways in which it can be restructured to enhance biosecurity and international scientific collaboration. It requires that the program consider newly discovered agents--such as genetically modified organisms, synthetic compounds, and other agents identified in Homeland Security risk assessments--to ensure that the list of agents is current and comprehensive. It encourages the sharing of information with state emergency planning officials, which is vital to ensuring that our first responders have the tools they need to prevent or respond to an attack. And it ensures minimum biosecurity and biosafety standards for the training of workers in the laboratories that deal with the most dangerous substances. These measures are of vital importance. Over the past several decades we have seen revolutions in technology, economics, and politics that are fundamentally changing the world we live in. The upside of these developments is obvious. The world is more prosperous, healthy, and interconnected than it has ever been before. But with these revolutions also come challenges. The same advances in biotechnology that help save lives, can also be used to develop dangerous biological agents and toxins that can take lives. The new global information infrastructure that is now the backbone of our economy can be used to spread knowledge of how to create and disperse biological weapons. It is more important than ever that the U.S. government be able to track and control the dangerous materials that can be used to construct these weapons. This bill will help that effort. In closing, I'd like to say a special word about Senator Kennedy. He has been a legislative hero of mine since my days working as a staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He and Vicki are good friends, and are in my prayers. Rep. Rogers has amassed an impressive amount of knowledge on this subject, and will play a major role in securing its passage.