WASHINGTON, DC - Highlighting a multi-year, multi-Congress effort, the House Energy and Commerce Committee today approved landmark bipartisan legislation to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act to help improve chemical safety and management. H.R. 2576, the TSCA Modernization Act, passed the committee by a vote of 47-0-1. The measure was introduced by Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), with Subcommittee Ranking Member Paul Tonko (D-NY), Full Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), and Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) as original co-sponsors. The legislation is expected to be considered by the full House later this month.
This bipartisan effort brings much-needed reform to the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act, which was first implemented in 1976 but has failed to live up to its intended objective - managing hazardous chemicals in commerce. H.R. 2576 allows EPA to evaluate and manage risks associated with chemicals already on the market, protecting public health and the environment, giving the public greater confidence in American-made chemicals and the products that contain them. The legislation also gives manufacturers clarity and helps facilitate interstate and global commerce.
“The TSCA Modernization Act is a real breakthrough in regulatory reform, keeping the best of old TSCA and retooling some of the provisions that hindsight tells us weren’t working very well," said Shimkus. “I thank my friends on both sides of the aisle for their time and effort to reach this balanced agreement, and I urge all my colleagues involved in this debate to continue working together in that same spirit of bipartisanship until the President signs TSCA reform into law."
“Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee took an important step toward improving a deeply flawed law that has been in place for 40 years. I thank Chairman Shimkus, Chairman Upton, and Ranking Member Pallone for their ongoing partnership and determined effort to craft a bipartisan bill. I look forward to continued cooperation that will deliver a strong, bipartisan endorsement when the bill is considered on the House floor," Tonko said.
“We’ve come a long way on TSCA reform. Today’s vote caps a multi-year, multi-Congress effort to bring our chemical safety laws into the 21st century. Working together, we found a bipartisan breakthrough solution that gets the job done. I look forward to moving this legislation through the House this month and getting a bill to the president’s desk," Upton said.
“For 40 years, TSCA has failed to protect us from dangerous chemicals, and for the past six years, much needed fixes have eluded us. Today’s vote changes that, bringing us closer to reform than we have ever been. This was not an easy undertaking, but ensuring that public health and the environment are protected is well worth it. I want to thank Chairman Shimkus for his willingness to work together throughout this process. This bill is a stronger product thanks to our bipartisan collaboration, and it deserves the support of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. The House should pass this bill so that Americans can be confident that the products they are using every day are safe," Pallone said.
