105th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 83

To consolidate and revise the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to plant protection and quarantine, and for other purposes.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 21, 1997

Mr. Akaka introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

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A BILL

To consolidate and revise the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to plant protection and quarantine, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Plant Protection Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that-- (1) the detection, control, eradication, suppression, prevention, and retardation of the spread of plant pests and noxious weeds is necessary for the protection of the agriculture, environment, and economy of the United States; (2) biological control-- (A) is often a desirable, low-risk means of ridding crops and other plants of plant pests and noxious weeds; and (B) should be facilitated by the Secretary of Agriculture, Federal agencies, and States, whenever feasible; (3) markets could be severely impacted by the introduction or spread of pests or noxious weeds into or within the United States; (4) the unregulated movement of plant pests, noxious weeds, plants, biological control organisms, plant products, and articles capable of harboring plant pests or noxious weeds would present an unacceptable risk of introducing or spreading plant pests or noxious weeds; (5) the existence on any premises in the United States of a plant pest or noxious weed new to or not known to be widely prevalent in or distributed within and throughout the United States could threaten crops, other plants, plant products, and the natural resources and environment of the United States and burden interstate commerce or foreign commerce; and (6) all plant pests, noxious weeds, plants, plant products, or articles capable of harboring plant pests or noxious weeds regulated under this Act are in or affect interstate commerce or foreign commerce.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act: (1) Article.--The term ``article'' means any material or tangible object that could harbor a pest, disease, or noxious weed. (2) Biological control organism.--The term ``biological control organism'' means a biological entity, as defined by the Secretary, that suppresses or decreases the population of another biological entity. (3) Enter.--The term ``enter'' means to move into the commerce of the United States. (4) Entry.--The term ``entry'' means the act of movement into the commerce of the United States. (5) Export.--The term ``export'' means to move from the United States to any place outside the United States. (6) Exportation.--The term ``exportation'' means the act of movement from the United States to any place outside the United States. (7) Import.--The term ``import'' means to move into the territorial limits of the United States. (8) Importation.--The term ``importation'' means the act of movement into the territorial limits of the United States. (9) Indigenous.--The term ``indigenous'' means a plant species found naturally as part of a natural habitat in a geographic area in the United States. (10) Interstate.--The term ``interstate'' means from 1 State into or through any other State, or within the District .