5 
the “DNA Research Act of 1977” and on February 16, 1977, Repre- 
sentatives Ottinger, Badillo, Bedell, Corrada, Dellums, Duncan, 
Edwards, Gilman, Howard, Hughes, Jeffords, Kostmayer, Leach, 
Lehman, Mikva, Moakley, Neal, Richmond, Roybal, Scheuer, Simon, 
Steers, Walgren, Waxman, and Burke introduced H.R. 3591 and 
H.R. 3592, both identical to H.R. 3191. 
Representative Solarz introduced H.R. 4322, the “Commission on 
Genetic Research and Engineering Act of 1977”, on March 1, 1977. 
Representatives Rogers, Maguire, Preyer, Scheuer, Waxman, Florio, 
Markey, Walgren, Carter and Madigan introduced H.R. 4759, the 
“Recombinant DNA Research Act of 1977”, on March 9, 1977. 
Hearings on these bills were held by the Subcommittee on Health 
and the Environment on March 15, 16 and 17, 1977. On April 6, 1977, 
the administration’s proposal, the “Recombinant DNA Regulation 
Act”, was introduced as H.R. 6158 by Representative Rogers by re- 
quest. Subsequently, a Subcommittee Discussion Draft was prepared 
on the basis of a subcommittee markup session on May 2, 1977, intro- 
duced by Representative Rogers on May 24, 1977, as H.R. 7418, the 
“Recombinant DNA Act”. As a result of markup sessions in June, 
1977, the subcommittee ordered reported a clean bill, H.R. 7897, intro- 
duced on June 20 by Representatives Rogers, Preyer, Scheuer, Wax- 
man, Florio, Maguire, Markey, Ottinger, Walgren, Carter, Madigan, 
and Skubitz. 
The Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce considered 
H.R. 7897 in markup sessions in September and October, 1977, agreeing 
to several amendments. However, the markup of H.R. 7897 was never 
completed and the bill was not reported by the Committee. 
Representative Staggers introduced H.R. 10453 on January 19, 1978. 
This bill was not considered further. On February 28, Representatives 
Staggers and Rogers introduced H.R. 11192, which was subsequently 
considered by the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. On 
March 15, 1978, H.R. 11192 was considered, amended and ordered re- 
ported by the Committee by a vote of 17 for and 6 against. 
NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION 
Nearly 5 years ago, at the Gordon Conference on Nucleic Acids, 
scientists reported the first results of a revolutionary technique in 
genetics and molecular biology, allowing the transplantation of genes 
from one organism into living cells from a completely unrelated spe- 
cies. By this method, DNA (deoxyribo-nucleic acid), the carrier of 
genetic information in all living cells and many viruses, is isolated 
from two or more sources, broken and recombined in the laboratory. 
This recombinant DNA is then inserted into a living host cell, in 
which perhaps all of the genes contained within the recombinant 
DNA molecule may be expressed. In this way, frog genes, insect genes, 
and animal genes including the gene coding for insulin have been in- 
troduced into bacteria. By combining the DNA of certain animal vi- 
ruses with “foreign” DNA, novel genes may also be introduced into 
cultered mammalian cells. Similar methods allow the transplantation 
of genes into plant cells. 
The scientists at the 1973 Gordon Conference, while recognizing 
the exceptional value of this technique as a research tool in the study 
of genetic mechanisms as well as a means to manufacture by a simple 
[Appendix B — 135] 
