15 
for safety monitoring rather than licensure or registration of 
individuals engaged in research. 
The Committee urges full disclosure to the appropriate regulatory 
body of all relevant safety and scientific information pertaining to the 
use or production of recombinant DNA molecules. However, the Committee 
recognizes the important world-wide commercial potential of recombinant 
DNA molecules in medicine, agriculture, and other areas of science and 
technology. It believes that the potential commercial uses of recom- 
binant DNA techniques require that information of a proprietary nature 
and patent rights be given the appropriate protection from disclosure by 
the regulatory agency receiving such information as is currently provided 
by existing law. However, the Secretary may immediately release information 
if public safety requires it. 
Because the potential hazards posed by the use of recombinant DNA 
techniques extend beyond the local to the national and international 
levels, the Committee recommends that a single set of national standards 
must govern and that, accordingly, local law should be preempted to 
ensure national standards and regulations. The Committee, however, 
took into account the activities at the State and local levels on 
regulation of recombinant DNA research. It was agreed that, if a State 
passes a law imposing requirements identical to those contained in the 
Federal legislation, then the Secretary may enter into an agreement 
with the State to utilize its resources to assist the Secretary in 
carrying out his duties. 
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