House Resolution 138 - Introduced

PAG LIN





  1  1                HOUSE RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2                   BY  MERTZ and DRAKE
  1  3 A Resolution supporting the proposal of Iowa State
  1  4    University to pursue the location of the national
  1  5    bio and agro=defense facility at the site of the
  1  6    current National Center for Animal Health in Ames,
  1  7    Iowa.
  1  8    WHEREAS, the security of Iowa and the United States
  1  9 depends on an integrated national bio and agro=defense
  1 10 strategy; and
  1 11    WHEREAS, the federal Department of Homeland
  1 12 Security has determined an urgent need exists for a
  1 13 new integrated research infrastructure to provide
  1 14 research, development, testing, and evaluation that
  1 15 will enhance agricultural and public health; and
  1 16    WHEREAS, the Department of Homeland Security has
  1 17 proposed construction of a national bio and agro=
  1 18 defense facility which will be an integrated human,
  1 19 foreign animal, and zoonotic disease research and
  1 20 testing facility to support the complementary missions
  1 21 of the Department of Homeland Security, the United
  1 22 States Department of Health and Human Services, and
  1 23 the United States Department of Agriculture; and
  1 24    WHEREAS, the state of Iowa is a leading state in
  1 25 livestock production, a multibillion dollar industry
  1 26 of critical importance to the state's economy; and
  1 27    WHEREAS, the state of Iowa is already the location
  1 28 of several research assets of great importance to this
  1 29 new national effort, including the National Center for
  1 30 Animal Health, the National Animal Disease Center, the
  2  1 National Veterinary Services Laboratory, the Center
  2  2 for Veterinary Biologics, Iowa State University
  2  3 College of Agriculture, Iowa State University College
  2  4 of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Iowa College
  2  5 of Medicine, the University of Iowa College of Public
  2  6 Health, the Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, and University
  2  7 of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; and
  2  8    WHEREAS, these assets include state=of=the=art
  2  9 facilities and laboratories which could greatly
  2 10 enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of a national
  2 11 bio and agro=defense facility; and
  2 12    WHEREAS, the current site of the National Center
  2 13 for Animal Health in Ames, Iowa, is undergoing a $460
  2 14 million remodernization and has a large number of
  2 15 scientists and support staff for potential
  2 16 collaborations, making the Ames location an ideal
  2 17 choice for effective and efficient implementation of
  2 18 an integrated bio and agro=defense facility; and
  2 19    WHEREAS, Iowa State University of Science and
  2 20 Technology intends to submit a proposal to the
  2 21 Department of Homeland Security for the construction
  2 22 and operation of the national bio and agro=defense
  2 23 facility in Ames; and
  2 24    WHEREAS, the Iowa State University proposal will
  2 25 consist of a consortium of academic institutions and
  2 26 industry, commodity, and professional organizations
  2 27 from across the nation that brings together the
  2 28 necessary research and development expertise to
  2 29 address these high=consequence human, foreign animal,
  2 30 and zoonotic pathogens; NOW THEREFORE,
  3  1    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
  3  2 That the House of Representatives supports the
  3  3 proposal of Iowa State University to pursue the
  3  4 location of the national bio and agro=defense facility
  3  5 at the site of the current National Center for Animal
  3  6 Health in Ames.
  3  7 LSB 6540HH 81
  3  8 jr:nh/je/5