Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/474

 114 STAT. 438 PUBLIC LAW 106-224—JUNE 20, 2000 Plant Protection Act. Commerce and trade. Exports and imports. 7 USC 7701 note. 7 USC 7701. 7 USC 7702. TITLE IV—PLANT PROTECTION ACT SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the "Plant Protection Act". SEC. 402. FINDINGS. Congress finds that— (1) the detection, control, eradication, suppression, prevention, or retardation of the spread of plant pests or noxious weeds is necessary for the protection of the agriculture, environment, and economy of the United States; (2) biological control is often a desirable, low-risk means of ridding crops and other plants of plant pests and noxious weeds, and its use should be facilitated by the Department of Agriculture, other Federal agencies, and States whenever feasible; (3) it is the responsibility of the Secretary to facilitate exports, imports, and interstate commerce in agricultural products and other commodities that pose a risk of harboring plant pests or noxious weeds in ways that will reduce, to the extent practicable, as determined by the Secretary, the risk of dissemination of plant pests or noxious weeds; (4) decisions affecting imports, exports, and interstate movement of products regulated under this title shall be based on sound science; (5) the smooth movement of enterable plants, plant products, biological control organisms, or other articles into, out of, or within the United States is vital to the United State's economy and should be facilitated to the extent possible; (6) export markets could be severely impacted by the introduction or spread of plant pests or noxious weeds into or within the United States; (7) the unregulated movement of plant pests, noxious weeds, plants, certain biological control organisms, plant products, and articles capable of harboring plant pests or noxious weeds could present an unacceptable risk of introducing or spreading plant pests or noxious weeds; (8) the existence on any premises in the United States of a plant pest or noxious weed new to or not known to be widely prevalent in or distributed within and throughout the United States could constitute a threat to crops and other plants or plant products of the United States and burden interstate commerce or foreign commerce; and (9) all plant pests, noxious weeds, plants, plant products, articles capable of harboring plant pests or noxious weeds regulated under this title are in or affect interstate commerce or foreign commerce. SEC. 403. DEFINITIONS. In this title: (1) ARTICLE.— The term "article" means any material or tangible object that could harbor plant pests or noxious weeds. (2) BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ORGANISM.— The term "biological control organism" means any enemy, antagonist, or competitor used to control a plant pest or noxious weed.

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