Sound Science Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill changes how EPA evaluates chemical risks, requiring the agency to focus only on hazards and exposures that are "more likely than not" to cause unreasonable risk, rather than considering all possible dangers. This raises the bar for what counts as a risk worth regulating.
• EPA would no longer be required to ignore costs when deciding whether a chemical poses a risk. The bill removes the current prohibition on considering costs or other non-risk factors during required safety actions, which could slow or weaken chemical restrictions.
• The bill requires EPA to assume companies are already following existing workplace safety laws (like OSHA rules) when evaluating chemical risks. EPA cannot base restrictions on the idea that companies might be violating those other laws.
• Federal agencies like the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and USDA would get a formal role in reviewing EPA chemical risk evaluations. They would have at least 30 days to submit comments on draft risk evaluations before the public comment period begins.
• EPA regulations on toxic chemicals would need to be "cost-effective" and could not create greater risks than the ones they are trying to fix. The bill shifts the standard from eliminating unreasonable risk to minimizing risk "to the extent reasonably feasible."
• Scientific peer review of EPA risk evaluations would now require a complete in-person review by a committee, with at least 30 days for reviewers to examine the underlying science and risk determinations before any chemical restrictions move forward.

Votes

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Related Bills

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