Expediting Agriculture Through Science Act or EATS Act - Amends the Plant Protection Act to include biotechnology products among the plant pests that a person may petition the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to have added or removed from regulations allowing such products' importation, entry, exportation, or movement in interstate commerce without a permit.
Revises provisions regarding the Secretary's response to such a petition to require the Secretary to: (1) determine whether to approve such petition not later than 180 days after the petition's receipt, with two permitted 30-day extensions; (2) notify the petitioner of such extensions; and (3) provide a denied petitioner with denial information and an opportunity to remedy deficiencies.
Deems a petition approved if the Secretary has not made a determination to approve the petition by the end of the 240-day period beginning on the date of the petition's receipt.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2031 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2031
To amend the Plant Protection Act to expedite the process for approval
of certain biotechnology products, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 26, 2011
Mr. Fincher introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Plant Protection Act to expedite the process for approval
of certain biotechnology products, 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 ``Expediting Agriculture Through
Science Act'' or ``EATS Act''.
SEC. 2. TIMELINE FOR APPROVAL OF PETITIONS FOR REMOVAL OF PLANT PESTS
FROM REGULATION.
Section 411(c) of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7711(c)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, including
biotechnology products'' before ``from'';
(2) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following
new paragraph:
``(3) Response to petition by the secretary.--
``(A) In general.--In the case of a petition
submitted under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall
determine, based on sound science, whether to approve
such petition not later than 180 days after the date on
which the Secretary receives such petition. The
Secretary may extend the period for such determination
for two periods of 30 days each, if the Secretary
notifies the petitioner of each extension of the
determination period.
``(B) Notification.--The notification described in
subparagraph (A) shall be in the form of a letter from
the Secretary or a designee of the Secretary and shall
include the name and title of each person processing
the petition, the specific reason for the delay in the
determination, and a specific date on which a
determination is expected.
``(C) Denials.--For each petition the Secretary
denies, the Secretary shall provide the petitioner--
``(i) written, clear, and comprehensive
reasons why the petition was denied and
detailed information concerning any
deficiencies in the petition; and
``(ii) an opportunity to remedy any such
deficiencies.
``(D) Deemed approved.--If the Secretary has not
made a determination to approve a petition by the end
of the 240-day period beginning on the date the
Secretary received such petition, the petition shall be
deemed approved.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E984)
Referred to the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture.
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