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The Sound Science Act (S. 4397), introduced by Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) on April 27, 2026, would strengthen the science used for risk reviews and improve interagency coordination for chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to Ricketts’s April 27, 2026, press release, “[b]y strengthening the scientific basis for regulation and expediting the existing chemical review process, Americans can have access to updated and safe chemistries.” The press release states that the bill would:
- Add new requirements to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) risk evaluations, including:
- Ensure evaluations are focused on real-world risks and focus on those likely to result in unreasonable risk;
- Require EPA to use the regulatory levels that have been developed by other federal departments for issues within their statutory obligations rather than develop its own;
- Assume compliance with existing requirements from other federal agencies like from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
- Subject risk evaluations to interagency review like a regulation and extend public comment period to 60 days; and
- Provide that other federal agencies have a formal commenting period of 30 days to advise EPA of critical chemistries uses and supply chain impacts under their jurisdictions;
- Provide that any scientific assessment values developed by the EPA Administrator are directly subject to judicial review;
- Add new requirements under TSCA to add new elements to the scientific standards EPA must consider, including:
- Evaluating whether any scientific assessment developed by the Administrator meets scientific standards under best available science and weight of the evidence instead of simply being deferred to by EPA;
- Consulting with other federal agencies and specialists on whether an EPA work protection standard is needed; and
- Requiring the evaluation of comments from other federal departments;
- Add a new committee in-person peer review for risk evaluations under EPA’s Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC).
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