,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bfie  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #bd1  
#bjai,mr4 ,roberts 7for himself and ,ms4
 ,stabenow7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to authorize the ,secretary of         
,agriculture to provide for the defense 
of ,united ,states agriculture and food 
through the ,national ,bio and          
,agro-,defense ,facility1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,national ,bio and  
,agro-,defense ,facility ,act of #bjai4 
#b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7    
,animal ,the term animal has the meaning
 given the term in section #ajdjc of the
 ,animal ,health ,protection ,act 7#g   
,u4,s4,c4 #hcjb74  7#b7 ,secretary ,the 
term ,secretary means the ,secretary of 
,agriculture4  7#c7 ,transboundary      
disease ,the term transboundary disease 
has the meaning given the term in       

section #abbjc7;a7 of the ,agriculture  
,improvement ,act of #bjah 7#g ,u4,s4,c4
 #hiad7;a774  7#d7 ,veterinary          
countermeasure ,the term veterinary     
countermeasure has the meaning given the
 term in section #ajdjc of the ,animal  
,health ,protection ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4  
#hcjb74  #c4 ,national ,bio and         
,agro-,defense ,facility  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary shall carry out 
the relevant responsibilities of the    
,secretary under ,homeland ,security    
,presidential ,directive #i 7relating to
 the defense of ,united ,states         
agriculture and food7 and the national  
biodefense strategy developed under     
section #ajhf of the ,national ,defense 
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year   
#bjag 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #ajd7 by acting1 as 
appropriate1 through the ,national ,bio 
and ,agro-,defense ,facility as a       
national security laboratory asset of   
the national biodefense enterprise to   
provide integrated research1            
development1 and test and evaluation    

infrastructure for defending against    
bio- and agro-terrorism threats4  7b7   
,duties ,pursuant to subsection 7a71 the
 ,secretary shall use the ,national ,bio
 and ,agro-,defense ,facility-- 7#a7 to 
integrate agricultural1 zoonotic        
disease1 and public health research2    
7#b7 to address threats from human      
pathogens1 high-consequence zoonotic    
disease agents1 emerging foreign animal 
diseases1 and animal transboundary      
diseases2  7#c7 to address biological   
incidence threats2  7#d7 to provide     
training2 and  7#e7 to coordinate1      
partner1 and share data and information 
with the ,secretary of ,homeland        
,security1 including the support of the 
production of biological material threat
 assessments4  #d4 ,research and        
development ,pursuant to section #c1 the
 ,secretary shall carry out research and
 development objectives--  7#a7 to      
develop veterinary countermeasures for  
emerging foreign animal diseases and    
animal transboundary diseases2  7#b7 to 

provide advance test1 diagnostic1 and   
evaluation capability for threat        
detection1 vulnerability assessment1 and
 veterinary countermeasure assessment   
for animal and zoonotic diseases2 and   
7#c7 for such other purposes as the     
,secretary determines to be appropriate4
  #e4 ,evaluation ,pursuant to section  
#d1 not less frequently than biennially1
 the ,secretary1 in coordination with   
the ,secretary of ,homeland ,security   
and the heads of other relevant         
agencies1 shall evaluate and update the 
strategic research plan for the         
,national ,bio and ,agro-,defense       
,facility based on risk and threat      
assessments4  #f4 ,availability of data 
7a7 ,congressional report ,every #f     
months until the date described in      
subsection 7b71 the ,secretary and the  
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 as   
appropriate1 shall submit to the        
,committees on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1
 and ,forestry and ,homeland ,security  
and ,governmental ,affairs of the       

,senate and the ,committees on          
,agriculture and ,homeland ,security of 
the ,house of ,representatives a report 
describing--  7#a7 progress under each  
phase described in the memorandum of    
agreement entitled ,memorandum of       
,agreement ,between the ,u4,s4          
,department of ,agriculture ,marketing  
and ,regulatory ,programs1 the ,u4,s4   
,department of ,agriculture ,research1  
,education1 and ,economics1 and the     
,department of ,homeland ,security      
,science and ,technology ,directorate   
and dated ,june #bj1 #bjai1 that is not 
completed as of the date of enactment of
 this ,act2 and  7#b7 the operations and
 mission1 including coordination1 under 
any successor memorandum of agreement1  
or similar joint agreement or           
understanding1 between the ,department  
of ,agriculture and the ,department of  
,homeland ,security1 or other relevant  
agencies1 that documents the biodefense 
mission of the ,national ,bio and       
,agro-,defense ,facility4  7b7          

,termination ,the reporting requirement 
under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on 
the date that is #b years after the date
 on which the ,national ,bio and        
,agro-,defense ,facility attains full   
operating capability4  7c7 ,effective   
date ,this section shall take effect on 
the date of enactment of this ,act4  #g4
 ,effect  7a7 ,in general ,nothing in   
this ,act requires the ,secretary to    
have administrative jurisdiction over   
the ,national ,bio and ,agro-,defense   
,facility4  7b7 ,transfer of            
jurisdiction ,if administrative         
jurisdiction over the ,national ,bio and
 ,agro-,defense ,facility is transferred
 from the ,secretary to another ,federal
 agency1 any reference in this ,act     
7other than section #f7 to the          
,secretary shall be deemed to be a      
reference to the head of that ,federal  
agency4  #h4 ,effective date ,except for
 section #f1 this ,act shall take effect
 on the date on which all phases in the 
memorandum of agreement described in    

section #f7;a77#a7 are completed4