[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 9, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 9CFR121.7]

[Page 772-773]
 
                  TITLE 9--ANIMALS AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS
 
  CHAPTER I--ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 121_POSSESSION, USE, AND TRANSFER OF SELECT AGENTS AND TOXINS--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec. 121.7  Registration and related security risk assessments.

    (a) Unless exempted under Sec. 121.5, an individual or entity shall 
not possess, use, or transfer any VS select agent or toxin without a 
certificate of registration issued by the Administrator. Unless exempted 
under Sec. 121.6 or 42 CFR 73.6, an individual or entity shall not 
possess, use, or transfer any overlap select agent or toxin without a 
certificate of registration issued by the Administrator and the HHS 
Secretary.
    (b) As a condition of registration, each entity must designate an 
individual to be its responsible official. While most registrants are 
likely to be entities, in the event that an individual applies for and 
is granted a certificate of registration, the individual will be 
considered the responsible official.
    (c)(1) As a condition of registration, the following must be 
approved by the Administrator or the HHS Secretary based on a security 
risk assessment by the Attorney General:
    (i) The individual or entity;
    (ii) The responsible official; and
    (iii) Unless otherwise exempted under this section, any individual 
who owns or controls the entity.
    (2) Federal, State, or local governmental agencies, including public 
accredited academic institutions, are exempt from the security risk 
assessments for the entity and the individual who owns or controls such 
entity.
    (3) An individual will be deemed to own or control an entity under 
the following conditions: \5\
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    \5\ These conditions may apply to more than one individual.
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    (i) For a private institution of higher education, an individual 
will be deemed to own or control the entity if the individual is in a 
managerial or executive capacity with regard to the entity's select 
agents or toxins or with regard to the individuals with access to the 
select agents or toxins possessed, used, or transferred by the entity.
    (ii) For entities other than institutions of higher education, an 
individual will be deemed to own or control the entity if the 
individual:
    (A) Owns 50 percent or more of the entity, or is a holder or owner 
of 50 percent or more of its voting stock; or
    (B) Is in a managerial or executive capacity with regard to the 
entity's select agents or toxins or with regard to the individuals with 
access to the select agents or toxins possessed, used, or transferred by 
the entity.
    (4) An entity will be considered to be an institution of higher 
education if it is an institution of higher education as defined in 
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), 
or is an organization described in 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, as amended (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)).
    (5) To obtain a security risk assessment, an individual or entity 
must submit the information necessary to conduct a security risk 
assessment to the Attorney General.
    (d) To apply for a certificate of registration for only VS select 
agents or toxins, or for VS and PPQ select agents or toxins, an 
individual or entity must submit the information requested in the 
registration application package (APHIS/CDC Form 1) to APHIS. To apply 
for a certificate of registration for overlap select agents or toxins, 
overlap select agents or toxins and any combination of PPQ or VS select 
agents or toxins, or HHS select agents or toxins and any combination of 
PPQ or VS select agents or toxins, an individual or entity must submit 
the information requested in the registration application package 
(APHIS/CDC Form 1) to APHIS or CDC, but not both.
    (e) Prior to the issuance of a certificate of registration, the 
responsible official must promptly provide notification of any changes 
to the application for registration by submitting the relevant page(s) 
of the registration application.
    (f) The issuance of a certificate of registration may be contingent 
upon inspection or submission of additional information, such as the 
security plan, biosafety plan, incident response plan, or any other 
documents required to be prepared under this part.
    (g) A certificate of registration will be valid for one physical 
location (a

[[Page 773]]

room, a building, or a group of buildings) where the responsible 
official will be able to perform the responsibilities required in this 
part, for specific select agents or toxins, and for specific activities.
    (h) A certificate of registration may be amended to reflect changes 
in circumstances (e.g., replacement of the responsible official or other 
personnel changes, changes in ownership or control of the entity, 
changes in the activities involving any select agents or toxins, or the 
addition or removal of select agents or toxins).
    (1) Prior to any change, the responsible official must apply for an 
amendment to a certificate of registration by submitting the relevant 
page(s) of the registration application.\6\
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    \6\ Depending on the change, a security risk assessment by the 
Attorney General may also be required (e.g., replacement of the 
responsible official, changes in ownership or control of the entity, new 
researchers or graduate students, etc.)
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    (2) The responsible official will be notified in writing if an 
application to amend a certificate of registration has been approved. 
Approval of an amendment may be contingent upon an inspection or 
submission of additional information, such as the security plan, 
biosafety plan, incident response plan, or any other documents required 
to be prepared under this part.
    (3) No change may be made without such approval.
    (i) An entity must immediately notify APHIS or CDC if it loses the 
services of its responsible official. In the event that an entity loses 
the services of its responsible official, an entity may continue to 
possess or use select agents or toxins only if it appoints as the 
responsible official another individual who has been approved by the 
Administrator or the HHS Secretary following a security risk assessment 
by the Attorney General and who meets the requirements of this part.
    (j) A certificate of registration will be terminated upon the 
written request of the entity if the entity no longer possesses or uses 
any select agents or toxins and no longer wishes to be registered.
    (k) A certificate of registration will be valid for a maximum of 3 
years.