110 STAT. 1284
PUBLIC LAW 104-132—APR. 24, 1996
Subtitle B—Biological Weapons
Restrictions
42 USC 262 note. SEC. 511. ENHANCED PENALTIES AND CONTROL OF BIOLOGICAL
AGENTS.
(a) FINDINGS. —The Congress finds that—
(1) certain biological agents have the potential to pose
a severe threat to public health and safety;
(2) such biological agents can be used as weapons by
individuals or organizations for the purpose of domestic or
international terrorism or for other criminal purposes;
(3) the transfer and possession of potentially hazardous
biological agents should be regulated to protect public health
and safety; and
(4) efforts to protect the public from exposure to guch
agents should ensure that individuals and groups with legitimate objectives continue to have access to such agents for
clinical and research purposes.
(b) CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT.—Chapter 10 of title 18, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 175(a), by inserting "or attempts, threatens,
or conspires to do the same," after "to do so,";
(2) in section 177(a)(2), by inserting "threat," after
"attempt,"; and
(3) in section 178—
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking "or infectious substance" and inserting "infectious substance, or biological
product that may be engineered as a result of biotechnology,
or any naturally occurring or bioengineered component of
any such microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or
biological product";
(B) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by inserting "the toxic material of plants, animals, microorganisms, viruses, fungi, or infectious substances, or a recombinant molecule" after "means";
(ii) by striking "production—" and inserting
"production, including—";
(iii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting "or biological
product that may be engineered as a result of biotechnology" after "substance"; and
(iv) in subparagraph (B), by inserting "or biological
product" after "isomer"; and
(C) in paragraph (4), by inserting ", or molecule, including a recombinant molecule, or biological product that may
be engineered as a result of biotechnology," after "organism".
(c) TERRORISM. — Section 2332a(a) of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ", including any biological agent,
toxin, or vector (as those terms are defined in section 178)" after
"destruction".
(d) REGULATORY CONTROL OF BIOLOGICAL AGENTS.—
(1) LIST OF BIOLOGICAL AGENTS.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, through regulations promulgated under subsection (f), establish and maintain a list of each biological agent that has the potential
to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.
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