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

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

optimize utilization of scientific expertise outside the Federal Government;

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

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

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Department of Agriculture.

Department of Defense.

Department of Energy.

Department of the Interior.

Department of Transportation.

Environmental Protection Agency.

Food and Drug Administration.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

National Institutes of Health.

National Cancer Institute.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

National Library of Medicine.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.