OQNmaUA, FUC. CMAIMMAN 
C C. BMOWN. CAUr. 
, H.V. 
RICMAKO L. OTTWOCR. N.Y. 
TOM HARK IN, IOWA 
MARIUrN LtiOVD BOUQUARO. TVM. 
JAMBS J. BUMCHARO* MICK. 
OOUO WALOROI. FA. 
nONNIB O. nJFFO. tHA. 
OAN OUCKMAN. KANS. 
A1.BBRT OORC, JR., IIJB4. 
ROBCRT A. VOUNO, MO. 
mCMARO e. WNTTB. TBX. 
HOWARD WOI.PC, MICH. 
•OXMELSON, FLA. 
•TAMJEY N. UB04NB, N.Y. 
ALLBN C. KRTBL, FA. 
LARRY WINN. JR., KAMS. 
BARRY M. BOLOWATBR. JR.. CAUF. 
HAMILTON nSH. JR.. PLY. 
MAPAiBL UUAIL JR.. N. MBX. 
HAROLD C. Iim I BPIfrK. PLJ. 
RO BBR T S. WALKSR. PA. 
BOWIN B. PO R BYTHB. N.J. 
WILLIAM CARMY, N.Y. 
MAROARCT M. HBCKLCR. MASS. 
P. JAMES SENSBNBRBM4BR, WIS. 
VIN WBBBR. MINPL 
JUDD ORBOO. PLH. 
RAYMOND J. MCORATH, PLY. 
JOB SKCCPL PL MBX. 
CLAUDINB BOSilBIDBR. RJ. 
JIM OUPBL MICH. 
■ILL LOWBRY, CAUP. 
BAVB MCCURDY. OPUA. 
MBRVVN M. OrnALLV. CAUP. 
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SUITE 2321 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515 
(202) 225-6371 
November 20, I 98 I 
■xanmvB outscroR 
PHtLfP B. YCABBR 
ROBCRT C. KBTCMAM 
RCOINA A. DAVIS 
MARTHA KRCM 
OBOROB 8. KOPP 
JOHN V. OUOAN. JR. 
THOMAS H. MOSS 
DARRELL R. BRANSCOMB 
ANTHONY C. TAYLOR 
THOMAS P. CRUMBLY 
OBRALD K. JBNKS 
MINORITY STAPP DIRBCTOR 
Ray Thornton, Chairman 
Recombinant Advisory Committee 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda /Vary land 20014 
Dear Hr 
First, let us Ij^mmend you and the other members of the NIH Recombinant 
DNA Advisory Committee for the excellent job the Committee has done un- 
der your fine leadership during the past four years. The responsible 
actions taken by the Committee stand as evidence that a broadly repres- 
entative group from the scientific community and the lay public can ef- 
fectively oversee the conduct of research in an area of high promise and 
arguable risk. We would like to commend the NIH, too, for its careful 
administration of the NIH Recombinant DNA guidelines. 
We are writing to express some concerns that we have with regard to the 
recent proposal by the Committee to change the Guidelines to a voluntary 
code of standard practice. As we understand it, the changes in the Guide- 
lines would accomplish the following: 
(1) The Institutional Biosafety Committees would no longer 
be required to oversee proposals involving recombinant 
DNA. 
( 2 ) No longer would any type of recombinant DNA experiment 
be strictly prohibited. Rather, there would be only an 
admonition against two types of experiments: one, in- 
troducing drug resistance into organisms that would not 
naturally acquire it; and two, introducing the ability 
into organisms to manufacture several very lethal toxins. 
(3) There would no longer be a specific provision prohibiting 
the deliberate release into the environment of recombinant 
DNA organisms. 
[ 618 ] 
