WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) today issued the following statement after language was finalized on a bicameral, bipartisan agreement on reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. The final product, the Frank L. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, merges policy priorities from H.R. 2576, which passed the House on June 23, 2015, and S. 697, which passed the Senate on Dec. 17, 2015.
“This breakthrough, bipartisan bill is the culmination of a multi-year, multi-Congress effort to modernize our outdated chemical safety laws. Our dedicated staff worked through the weekend to fine-tune the compromise language and a lot of long hours went into getting us to where we are today," said Upton and Shimkus. “This bicameral agreement represents a vast improvement over current law and takes a thoughtful approach to protecting people all across the country from unsafe chemical exposure while setting a new standard for quality regulation. It’s good for jobs, good for consumers, and good for the environment. We’re looking forward to the House taking swift action and passing this important bill this week. It’s imperative we get this bill signed into law as soon as possible."
Also included as part of the bipartisan agreement was S. 1916, the Rural Health Care Connectivity Act of 2016, authored by Senator John Thune (R-SD). Committee member Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) introduced, and the committee advanced, companion legislation in the House. S. 1916 would:
* Allow skilled nursing facilities to apply for Universal Service funding for communications services used to provide health care in rural communities.
Related Items
* Bicameral, Bipartisan Leaders Finalizing TSCA Reform Legislation
See Also
* Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
* House Clears Monumental Update to Chemical Safety Laws
* Upton and Shimkus Hail Senate Passage of Landmark Chemical Safety Bill
