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Smarter Regulations

Commentary on “Responsible Conduct by Life Scientists in an Age of Terrorism”

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Abstract

In the United States a rapidly increasing regulatory burden for life scientists has led to questions of whether the increased burden resulting from the Select Agent Program has had adverse effects on scientific advances. Attention has focussed on the regulatory “fit” of the Program and ways in which its design could be improved. An international framework convention to address common concerns about biosecurity and biosafety is a logical next step.

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Notes

  1. S·B. 3127, Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2008, introduced by Senators Richard Burr and Ted Kennedy, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate, June 12, 2008; reintroduced as H·B. 1225, and S·B. 485, Select Agent Program and Biosafety Improvement Act of 2009, February 26, 2009. It was referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security and no further action has been taken as this article goes to press.

  2. “Select agent” is the regulatory term for a listed biological agent subject to biosafety and biosecurity regulations.

  3. 18 U.S.C. 175b (2008).

  4. “Amerithrax” is the code name of the investigation of the anthrax letter mailings of fall 2001, assigned to it by the FBI. See http://www.fbi.gov/anthrax/amerithraxlinks.htm (Accessed 22 June 2009).

  5. Allegations made in the testimony of the suspect’s therapist in the restraining order filed in Montgomery County.

References

  • Atlas, R. (2009). Responsible conduct by life scientists in an age of terrorism. Science and Engineering Ethics, 15(3). doi:10.1007/s11948-009-9124-7.

  • Breyer, S. (1982). Regulation and its reform. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

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  • Sutton, V. (2005). A multidisciplinary approach to an ethic of biodefense and bioterrorism. Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, 33(2), 310–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Dept. of Justice, Press Release, Nov. 19, 2002.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas Tech University School of Law, Campus MS0004, 1802 Hartford Avenue, Lubbock, TX, 79409-0004, USA

    Victoria Sutton

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  1. Victoria Sutton
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Correspondence to Victoria Sutton.

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Sutton, V. Smarter Regulations. Sci Eng Ethics 15, 303–309 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-009-9141-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-009-9141-6

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