US Code - Title 50
Chapter 32c
Section 1520a. Restrictions on use of
human subjects for testing of chemical or biological agents
The Secretary of Defense may not conduct
(directly or by contract) -
(1) any test
or experiment involving the use of a chemical agent or biological agent on
a civilian population; or
(2) any other
testing of a chemical agent or biological agent on human subjects.
Subject to
subsections (c), (d), and (e) of this section, the prohibition in subsection
(a) of this section does not apply to a test or experiment
carried out for any of the following purposes:
(1) Any
peaceful purpose that is related to a medical, therapeutic, pharmaceutical, agricultural,
industrial, or research activity.
(2) Any
purpose that is directly related to protection against toxic chemicals or biological weapons and agents.
(3) Any law
enforcement purpose, including any purpose related to riot control.
The Secretary of Defense may conduct a
test or experiment described in subsection (b)
of this section only if informed consent to the testing was obtained from each
human subject in advance of the testing on that subject.
Not later than
30 days after the date of final approval within the Department of Defense of plans
for any experiment or study to be conducted by the Department of Defense (whether
directly or under contract) involving the use of human subjects for the testing of a chemical agent or a biological agent, the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the
Committee on Armed Services
of the House of Representatives a report setting forth a full accounting of those plans, and the experiment or study may
then be conducted only after the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date
such report is received by those committees.
In this section,
the term "biological agent" means any micro-organism (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, rickettsiac,
or protozoa), pathogen, or infectious substance, and any naturally occurring, bioengineered, or synthesized
component of any such micro-organism, pathogen, or infectious substance, whatever
its origin or method of production, that is capable of causing -
(1) death,
disease, or other biological malfunction in a human, an animal, a plant,
or another living organism;
(2) deterioration
of food, water, equipment, supplies, or materials of any kind; or
(3) deleterious alteration of the
environment.