INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON RECOMBINANT DNA RESEARCH 
Summary Minutes of Meeting 
November 3, 1977 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 
This eighth meeting of the Committee was convened at the National 
Institutes of Health (NIH) under the chairmanship of Dr. Donald S. 
Fredrickson, Director, NIH. 
Review of Congressional Activities 
In a brief review of Congressional activities since the Committee 
meeting of May 6, Dr. Fredrickson noted that a Senate bill was reported 
to the Floor, and a House bill was reported to the Interstate and 
Foreign Commerce Committee. Although the two bills contain many elements 
of the original Administration bill, one difference of special concern to the 
Administration is that the Senate bill gives reponsibility for regulation 
and the enforcement of standards to an autonomous regulatory commission. 
Concerns expressed by the scientific community about these Congressional 
bills center on provisions for penalties and Federal preemption of State/ 
local regulations. 
It now appears that no legislation will be passed in this session of 
Congress. In the House, a report and bill from the Subcommittee on 
Health and the Environment has yet to receive full Committee approval. 
And Senator Kennedy has announced that he is now considering a simple 
bill that would extend the NIH Guidelines for a year while a special 
commission studies and reports to Congress possible legislative 
recommendations . 
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