Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989

Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleAn Act to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and Their Destruction, by prohibiting certain conduct relating to biological weapons, and for other purposes.
Acronyms (colloquial)BWATA
Enacted bythe 101st United States Congress
EffectiveMay 22, 1990
Citations
Public law101-298
Statutes at Large104 Stat. 201
Codification
Titles amended18 U.S.C.: Crimes and Criminal Procedure
U.S.C. sections amended18 U.S.C. ch. 10 § 175 et seq.
Legislative history
  • Introduced in the Senate as S. 993 by Herb Kohl (DWI) on May 16, 1989
  • Committee consideration by Senate Judiciary
  • Passed the Senate on November 21, 1989 (Passed voice vote)
  • Passed the House on May 8, 1990 (Passed without objection)
  • Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on May 22, 1990

The Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989 (BWATA), Pub. L. 101–298, enacted May 22, 1990) was a piece of U.S. legislation that was passed into law in 1990. It provided for the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention as well as criminal penalties for violation of its provisions.[1] The law was amended in 1996 and has been used to prosecute several individuals.

  1. ^ "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction" (PDF). United Nations. United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). April 10, 1972.