Safer Choice Program Authorization Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- S. 4664
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-02: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-26T15:17:45Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation authorizes and strengthens the voluntary Safer Choice Program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote products made with safer chemical ingredients. It builds on existing EPA initiatives to encourage pollution prevention while maintaining product performance and providing consumers with reliable information for product selection.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: Creates a formal voluntary Safer Choice Program to certify products meeting the Safer Choice Standard or Design for the Environment Standard.
- Standards and Criteria: Requires science-based evaluations considering human health hazards (e.g., carcinogenicity, toxicity), environmental hazards (e.g., persistence, aquatic toxicity), product performance, and packaging sustainability.
- Administration: Directs the EPA to handle product reviews, label authorizations, technical assistance, stakeholder consultations, annual public meetings, and a Partner of the Year Awards program.
- Third-Party Involvement: Allows use of qualified third-party profilers for technical evaluations, with rules ensuring independence and conflict-of-interest protections.
- Labeling: Authorizes use of Safer Choice and Design for the Environment labels for certified products; prohibits unauthorized or misleading use, with enforcement options including suspension of authorization.
- Transparency: Mandates full ingredient disclosure (with protections for confidential business information), maintenance of a public product database, and annual reports to Congress.
- Funding: Authorizes $6,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2028 through 2034.
- Updates: Permits revisions to standards after public notice and comment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill provides statutory authorization for programs previously operated under existing EPA authority for over 30 years (Design for the Environment) and 10 years (Safer Choice). It introduces requirements for third-party profiler qualifications, full ingredient disclosure, interagency coordination, and annual reporting, while preserving the voluntary, nonregulatory character of the programs.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Formalizes EPA operations with dedicated funding authorization and requires coordination with agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and Consumer Product Safety Commission.
- Citizens and Businesses: Offers consumers clearer information on safer products; provides manufacturers, including small and medium-sized firms, a predictable framework to develop and market qualifying products.
- International Relations: No direct provisions or impacts identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Manufacturers and formulators of consumer, cleaning, and institutional products.
- Retailers and institutional purchasers.
- Consumers seeking safer product options.
- Environmental and public health organizations.
- Scientific experts and qualified third-party profilers.
- The EPA and other federal agencies involved in chemical and product regulation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The legislation emphasizes protection of confidential business information and includes a severability clause to preserve the Act if any provision is invalidated. It maintains a voluntary framework, avoiding new regulatory mandates, and focuses on market-based incentives. No constitutional concerns are raised in the bill text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Husted, Jon [R-OH], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-02: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 2026-06-02: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Safer Choice Program Authorization Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-02 — PDF (15 pages)