Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act
# Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act

The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is a law passed by the 114th United States Congress and signed into law by US President Barack Obama in 2016. Administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates the introduction of new or already existing chemicals, the Act amends and updates the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that went into force in 1976.

## History

Senators David Vitter and Frank Lautenberg introduced a TSCA reform bill as S. 1009 on May 22, 2013, co-sponsored by a number of other senators at the United States House Energy Subcommittee on Environment and Economy. After Senator Lautenberg died, Senator Tom Udall sponsored Senate bill 697 in 2015, to amend and re-authorize TSCA, called the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. The House then passed H.R.2576, the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015, and was referred to the Senate.

Congress passed a reconciled version of the reform bill with bipartisan support in June 2016. On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the bill into law. Lawmakers and industry groups were largely supportive of the new law, while environmental advocates offered more mixed reactions.

## Changes to TSCA

| TSCA as reformed by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act | TSCA pre-reform |
| - | - |
| Mandatory duty on EPA to evaluate existing chemicals with clear and enforceable deadlines | No duty to review, no deadlines for action |
| Chemicals assessed against a risk-based safety standard | Risk-benefit balancing standard |
| Unreasonable risks identified in the risk evaluation must be eliminated | Significant risks might not be addressed due to cost/benefit balancing and no mandate to act |
| Expanded authority to more quickly require development of chemical information when needed | Testing on existing chemicals required lengthy rulemaking |
