Animal Biological Products Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Agriculture.
Animal Biological Products Act - Prohibits the production, sale, shipment, or delivery for shipment in the United States of any animal biological product which is: (1) misrepresented or unsatisfactory; or (2) not produced at a licensed establishment under a valid product license issued by the Secretary of Agriculture and in compliance with this Act or any regulations promulgated pursuant to it. Defines "animal biological product" as any product (e.g. a vaccine, bacterin, antiserum, antitoxin, toxoid, allergen, or diagnostic antigen, but exluding antibiotics or hormones) which is prepared from, derived from, or prepared with micro-organisms, or the growth products of micro-organisms, or animal tissues, or animal fluids, or other substances of natural or synthetic origin, and which is intended for use in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment or cure of animal diseases through a specific immune process. Provides for the issuance, or denial, of establishment licenses (for establishments producing animal biological products), product licenses, and import permits. Provides for the suspension and revocation of such licenses and permits, and for judicial review of suspensions and revocations. Authorizes the Secretary to obtain, without charge, prerelease samples of a biological product to test and examine such products to determine whether it is pure, safe, potent, and efficacious, and otherwise in compliance with this Act. Permits the Secretary to issue, without hearing, a "Stop Sale, Transport, or Use" order, for a period not to exceed 30 days, whenever he has reason to believe that a biological product is misrepresented or unsatisfactory, or otherwise not in compliance with this Act. Provides for the seizure, condemnation, and destruction of such a product in a judicial proceeding. Requires licensees and permittees to keep records (with specified exceptions) and give access to examiners sent by the Secretary. Establishes civil and criminal penalties for the violation of provisions of this Act. Repeals provisions of the Act of March 4, 1913, with respect to viruses, serums, toxins and analogous products.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on July 18, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 18, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Agriculture.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
WILLIAM WAMPLER (R-VA) introduced it on July 18, 1979. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on July 18, 1979, 17221 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17221 days ago, on July 18, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers