PUBLIC LAW 106-505—NOV. 13, 2000 114 STAT. 2319 "(1) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary shall establish an Anti- Establishment. microbial Resistance Task Force to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary and coordinate Federal programs relating to antimicrobial resistance. The Secretary may appoint or select a committee, or other organization in existence as of the date of the enactment of this section, to serve as such a task force, if such committee, or other organization meets the requirements of this section. "(2) MEMBERS OF TASK FORCE.— The task force described in paragraph (1) shall be composed of representatives from such Federal agencies, and shall seek input from public health constituencies, manufacturers, veterinary and medical professional societies and others, as determined to be necessary by the Secretary, to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to address the public health threat of antimicrobial resistance. "(3) AGENDA.— "(A) IN GENERAL.—The task force described in paragraph (1) shall consider factors the Secretary considers appropriate, including— "(i) public health factors contributing to increasing antimicrobial resistance; "(ii) public health needs to detect and monitor antimicrobial resistance; "(iii) detection, prevention, and control strategies for resistant pathogens; "(iv) the need for improved information and data collection; "(v) the assessment of the risk imposed by pathogens presenting a threat to the public health; and "(vi) any other issues which the Secretary determines are relevant to antimicrobial resistance. "(B) DETECTION AND CONTROL.—The Secretary, in consultation with the task force described in paragraph (1) and State and local public health officials, shall— "(i) develop, improve, coordinate or enhance participation in a surveillance plan to detect and monitor emerging antimicrobial resistance; and "(ii) develop, improve, coordinate or enhance participation in an integrated information system to assimilate, analyze, and exchange antimicrobial resistance data between public health departments. "(4) MEETINGS. — The task force described under paragraph (1) shall convene not less than twice a year, or more frequently as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. "(b) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS AND DL\GNOSTICS.— The Secretary and the Director of Agricultural Research Services, consistent with the recommendations of the task force established under subsection (a), shall conduct and support research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies in the health sciences that are related to— "(1) the development of new therapeutics, including vaccines and antimicrobials, against resistant pathogens; "(2) the development or testing of medical diagnostics to detect pathogens resistant to antimicrobials; " (3) the epidemiology, mechanisms, and pathogenesis of antimicrobial resistance; 79-194O-00 -9:QL3Part4
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