AUG 2 2 1978

ALAN CRANSTO J —

CALIFORNIA

‘Vnifed Glales Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. 208510

August 11, 1978

Mr. Joshua Lederberg

Professor of Genetics

Stanford University Medical Center
Stanford, California 94305

Dear Joshua,

Some time ago you wrote me of your concerns with
respect to DNA research) I want to bring you up-
to-date on legislation currently under considera-
tion to deal with this issue.

As you know, the Senate Committee on Human Resources,
on which I am privileged to serve, ordered reported
last July S. 1217, the proposed "DNA Safety Regula-
tion Act of 1977". (Enclosed is a brief statement
on that legislation.) Since that time, the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce has
ordered reported H.R. 11192, the proposed "Recombi-
nant DNA Act", and Senator Kennedy has submitted an
amendment (No. 1713) to S. 1217 that modifies the
Senate bill significantly.

Both the House proposal and the amendment submitted
by Senator Kennedy considerably reduce the regulatory
mechanisms in the original Senate Committee bill.
Given the experience we have gained in the past few
years with respect to DNA research, it seems that the
complex regulatory structure we had originally sug-
gested is not necessary. I am pleased, however,

that there is general recognition that additional study
of the long-term implications of DNA research, as I
had suggested in my amendments to S$. 1217, is neces-
Sary, and that that concept is preserved in all
proposals.

I continue to support the "preemption" language in
the original Senate Committee bill, which I believe
offers a rational and realistic approach to the issue
of state/federal jurisdiction.
Another issue that I feel must be addressed is the
development of appropriate means of applying the
NIH-DNA safety guidelines to private sector research.

The DNA issue is indeed a difficult one to resolve.
I am grateful to you for letting me know of your
concerns. Your comments are very helpful to me in
making a judgment on this most critical issue.

With best wishes,

Cofijally,

an/Cranston

Enclosure