(a) In general
With respect to the interagency coordinating committee that is known as the Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (referred to in sections 285l–2 to 285l–5 of this title as "ICCVAM") and that was established by the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for purposes of section 285l–1(b) of this title, the Director of the Institute shall designate such committee as a permanent interagency coordinating committee of the Institute under the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods. Sections 285l–2 to 285l–5 of this title may not be construed as affecting the authorities of such Director regarding ICCVAM that were in effect on the day before December 19, 2000, except to the extent inconsistent with sections 285l–2 to 285l–5 of this title.

(b) Purposes
The purposes of the ICCVAM shall be to—

(1) increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Federal agency test method review;

(2) eliminate unnecessary duplicative efforts and share experiences between Federal regulatory agencies;

(3) optimize utilization of scientific expertise outside the Federal Government;

(4) ensure that new and revised test methods are validated to meet the needs of Federal agencies; and

(5) reduce, refine, or replace the use of animals in testing, where feasible.

(c) Composition
The ICCVAM shall be composed of the heads of the following Federal agencies (or their designees):

(1) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

(2) Consumer Product Safety Commission.

(3) Department of Agriculture.

(4) Department of Defense.

(5) Department of Energy.

(6) Department of the Interior.

(7) Department of Transportation.

(8) Environmental Protection Agency.

(9) Food and Drug Administration.

(10) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

(11) National Institutes of Health.

(12) National Cancer Institute.

(13) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

(14) National Library of Medicine.

(15) Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

(16) Any other agency that develops, or employs tests or test data using animals, or regulates on the basis of the use of animals in toxicity testing.

(d) Scientific Advisory Committee

(1) Establishment
The Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences shall establish a Scientific Advisory Committee (referred to in sections 285l–2 to 285l–5 of this title as the "SAC") to advise ICCVAM and the National Toxicology Program Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods regarding ICCVAM activities. The activities of the SAC shall be subject to provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

(2) Membership

(A) In general
The SAC shall be composed of the following voting members:

(i) At least one knowledgeable representative having a history of expertise, development, or evaluation of new or revised or alternative test methods from each of—

(I) the personal care, pharmaceutical, industrial chemicals, or agriculture industry;

(II) any other industry that is regulated by the Federal agencies specified in subsection (c); and

(III) a national animal protection organization established under section 501(c)(3) of title 26.

(ii) Representatives (selected by the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) from an academic institution, a State government agency, an international regulatory body, or any corporation developing or marketing new or revised or alternative test methodologies, including contract laboratories.

(B) Nonvoting ex officio members
The membership of the SAC shall, in addition to voting members under subparagraph (A), include as nonvoting ex officio members the agency heads specified in subsection (c) (or their designees).

(e) Duties
The ICCVAM shall, consistent with the purposes described in subsection (b), carry out the following functions:

(1) Review and evaluate new or revised or alternative test methods, including batteries of tests and test screens, that may be acceptable for specific regulatory uses, including the coordination of technical reviews of proposed new or revised or alternative test methods of interagency interest.

(2) Facilitate appropriate interagency and international harmonization of acute or chronic toxicological test protocols that encourage the reduction, refinement, or replacement of animal test methods.

(3) Facilitate and provide guidance on the development of validation criteria, validation studies and processes for new or revised or alternative test methods and help facilitate the acceptance of such scientifically valid test methods and awareness of accepted test methods by Federal agencies and other stakeholders.

(4) Submit ICCVAM test recommendations for the test method reviewed by the ICCVAM, through expeditious transmittal by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (or the designee of the Secretary), to each appropriate Federal agency, along with the identification of specific agency guidelines, recommendations, or regulations for a test method, including batteries of tests and test screens, for chemicals or class of chemicals within a regulatory framework that may be appropriate for scientific improvement, while seeking to reduce, refine, or replace animal test methods.

(5) Consider for review and evaluation, petitions received from the public that—

(A) identify a specific regulation, recommendation, or guideline regarding a regulatory mandate; and

(B) recommend new or revised or alternative test methods and provide valid scientific evidence of the potential of the test method.

(6) Make available to the public final ICCVAM test recommendations to appropriate Federal agencies and the responses from the agencies regarding such recommendations.

(7) Prepare reports to be made available to the public on its progress under sections 285l–2 to 285l–5 of this title. The first report shall be completed not later than 12 months after December 19, 2000, and subsequent reports shall be completed biennially thereafter.