7 USC § 8901 - Definitions

# § 8901. Definitions

In this chapter:

**(1)** **Agent** The term “agent” means a nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological substance that causes agricultural disease or the adulteration of products regulated by the Secretary of Agriculture under any provision of law.

**(2)** **Agricultural biosecurity** The term “agricultural biosecurity” means protection from an agent that poses a threat to—

**(A)** plant or animal health;

**(B)** public health as it relates to the adulteration of products regulated by the Secretary of Agriculture under any provision of law that is caused by exposure to an agent; or

**(C)** the environment as it relates to agriculture facilities, farmland, and air and water within the immediate vicinity of an area associated with an agricultural disease or outbreak.

**(3)** **Agricultural countermeasure** The term “agricultural countermeasure”—

**(A)** means a product, practice, or technology that is intended to enhance or maintain the agricultural biosecurity of the United States; and

**(B)** does not include a product, practice, or technology used solely in response to a human medical incident or public health emergency not related to agriculture.

**(4)** **Agricultural disease** The term “agricultural disease” has the meaning given the term by the Secretary.

**(5)** **Agricultural disease emergency** The term “agricultural disease emergency” means an incident of agricultural disease that requires prompt action to prevent significant damage to people, plants, or animals.

**(6)** **Agroterrorist act** The term “agroterrorist act” means an act that—

**(A)** causes or attempts to cause—

**(i)** damage to agriculture; or

**(ii)** injury to a person associated with agriculture; and

**(B)** is committed or appears to be committed with the intent to—

**(i)** intimidate or coerce a civilian population; or

**(ii)** disrupt the agricultural industry in order to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion.

**(7)** **Animal** section 8302 of this title

The term “animal” has the meaning given the term in .

**(8)** **Department** The term “Department” means the Department of Agriculture.

**(9)** **Development** The term “development” means—

**(A)** research leading to the identification of products or technologies intended for use as agricultural countermeasures to protect animal health;

**(B)** the formulation, production, and subsequent modification of those products or technologies;

**(C)** the conduct of in vitro and in vivo studies;

**(D)** the conduct of field, efficacy, and safety studies;

**(E)** the preparation of an application for marketing approval for submission to an applicable agency; or

**(F)** other actions taken by an applicable agency in a case in which an agricultural countermeasure is procured or used prior to issuance of a license or other form of Federal Government approval.

**(10)** **Plant** section 7702 of this title

The term “plant” has the meaning given the term in .

**(11)** **Qualified agricultural countermeasure** The term “qualified agricultural countermeasure” means an agricultural countermeasure that the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, determines to be a priority in order to address an agricultural biosecurity threat.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 110–234, title XIV, § 14102, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1453; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XIV, § 14102, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2215.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

and  enacted identical sections.  was repealed by .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of  by  effective , the date of enactment of , see , set out as a note under .

### Short Title

> “This subtitle [subtitle B (§§ 14101–14122) of title XIV of
> 
> , enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Agricultural Security Improvement Act of 2008’.”

, , , and , title XIV, § 14101, , , 2215, provided that:

[ and  enacted identical provisions.  was repealed by , set out as a note under .]

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see .