CDC Set to Release Select
Agents Rule
December 6, 2002 - The CDC Dec. 2 announced in the
Federal Register [67 FR 71528] that it will release its interim
final rule on the "Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select
Agents and Toxins" on Dec. 9. The widely anticipated
rule, mandated by the Public Health Safety and Bioterrorism
Preparedness and Response Act signed by President Bush in
June, will govern universities and other institutions in handling
select biological agents that might be misused for terrorism.
In particular, the rule will restrict access to agents and
toxins by persons who are not considered to have legitimate
need or may otherwise be considered a risk by federal authorities.
The rule will also guide the creation of a national database
on select agents and will impose varied levels of security
depending on the perceived level of threat to the public.
Public comments on the interim final rule will be received
by CDC at a meeting on Dec. 16 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at
330 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC. Members of the public
wishing to submit oral or written comments at the meeting
should contact the CDC directly at 404-498-2272.
The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) has already cited
weaknesses in the CDC's administration of the select agents
program. In a Nov. 22 letter
from GAO's Director of Health Care, Cynthia Bascetta, to DHHS
Secretary Tommy Thompson, GAO called for stronger internal
controls of the agency's management of the program.
Information:
Stephen Heinig, Senior Research Fellow
AAMC Biomedical Health Sciences Research
sheinig@aamc.org
(202) 828-0488
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