AN security bill passed by House committee

Washington, D.C. -On April 26, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, oversaw the swift mark-up and passage of The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act of 2007 (H.R.1680). The bill, which is strongly supported by The Fertilizer Institute and the Agricultural Retailers Association, would allow the Department of Homeland Security to regulate the sale and purchase of AN to keep it out of the hands of those with criminal intent (GM April 2, p. 9). According to ARA, an amendment offered by Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-Calif.) to require all registrants to undergo a check through the terrorist watch list, similar to what is currently required of all airline passengers, was adopted by voice vote. ARA said it continues to work closely with TFI “to secure passage of this much-needed legislation, which will help ensure this important plant nutrient product is properly secured from terrorists and remains readily available for use by America’s agricultural industry.”