Yes, I'd be happy to.
In my testimony on Tuesday before the committee I mentioned that when I initially looked at what was being proposed in the bill, I had many of the same concerns. I've been reassured and convinced by my colleagues in, I would say, rather vigorous discussions within the agency that this will be addressed through regulations, that there will not be onerous burdens placed on individuals working on level 2 agents, and that teaching and research will continue. There will be some burden, but I don't believe it's over-burdensome; it can be managed.
Many of the things that need to be put in place or would be required by the bill should be there anyway in a well-managed laboratory—inventories and those sorts of things. Although the risk to the public health of a laboratory-acquired infection by a level 2 agent is low overall, there is a risk. There's an influenza virus currently circulating, of H1N1 type, that probably originated from a laboratory accident or intentional release in Russia in the 1970s. It's been circulating ever since, causing a minor pandemic. So it's not zero-risk.