This bill would establish a new Federal Food Administration as an independent agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, separating food safety oversight from the current Food and Drug Administration. The new agency would be headed by a Commissioner of Foods appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and would take over all food-related responsibilities currently handled by the FDA, including inspecting food facilities, reviewing food additives, enforcing pesticide residue limits, and responding to foodborne illness outbreaks. The bill would reorganize food facility inspections into three risk categories with different inspection frequencies, ranging from annual inspections for high-risk facilities to once every three years for low-risk facilities, with infant formula facilities inspected every six months. Funding would come from transferring existing FDA food-related appropriations to the new agency, plus authorization for whatever additional funds are deemed necessary in fiscal year 2025 and beyond. The bill would take effect 180 days after enactment, and the FDA would be renamed the Federal Drug Administration, retaining responsibility for drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and other non-food products.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.