House Bills - 108th Congress

H.R. 3714—The BSE and Other Prion Disease Prevention and Public Health Act

On January 21, 2004, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced H.R. 3714, a bill to provide better protection against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and other prion diseases. Provisions of interest would require the Secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture to establish liaison positions at each appropriate Undersecretary level to ensure adequate coordination and communication between the two departments regarding prion diseases. The Secretaries would also be required jointly to establish a task force on prion diseases to provide recommendations to Congress on the status of all surveillance and research programs. Representatives from NIH and other relevant agencies would be required on the task force. H.R. 3714 was referred to the Committees on Agriculture, on Energy and Commerce, and on Ways and Means.