April 20, 2015
Senators Tom Udall (D-NM) and David Vitter (R-LA) have introduced the bill entitled “The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act,” amending the 40-year-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
The bill currently has 18 co-sponsors, and the new legislation has been described as providing a predictable and transparent federal system for the regulation of chemicals based on the latest science.
The core provisions of the bill:
- Strengthen the safety standard
- Mandate safety reviews for new and existing chemicals
- Strengthen protections for the most vulnerable
- Set aggressive and attainable deadlines
- Create additional requirements and set reasonable limits on confidential business information claims
- Preserve existing private rights of action
- Balance state and federal regulations