To authorize the establishment of a Center for Plant Disease Control in the Department of Agriculture.
Executive Comment Requested from USDA.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 14, 2002
Amends the Plant Protection Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate the need for establishing a Center for Plant Disease Control in the Department of Agriculture that: (1) would facilitate the compiling of information and the conducting of investigations respecting plant pests; and (2) could act as a first responder in the event of an accidental or deliberate use of a plant pest.Authorizes the Secretary, if the evaluation supports such need, to establish the Center. Sets forth Center functions, including: (1) development of tools for disease detection and diagnosis, (2) expansion of genomics and plant biotechnology research; and (3) development of foreign and domestic pathogen databases. Provides for Center coordination with Federal and State agencies, in particular the Office of Homeland Security.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 21, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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