Bill · H.R. 7291· House(119-HR-7291)
GRAS Oversight and Transparency Act
- Introduced
- 1/30/2026
- Last activity
- 1/30/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Sponsored by
- Michael Lawler
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The GRAS Oversight and Transparency Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Board to review certain food safety designations. This Board will evaluate the validity of "covered GRAS designations," which are substances recognized as safe prior to the year 2000. The Board will categorize these designations into three tiers and review them over a ten-year period. If the Board finds a substance has not been shown to be safe, it will recommend revocation to the Secretary. The Secretary then has the authority to revoke these designations after allowing manufacturers to provide scientific evidence of safety.
Yes· 3 of 6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+6
The bill establishes a review process to ensure food additives previously deemed safe are still safe for consumption.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+5
The bill requires the Board to make safety review reports publicly available on the FDA website.
Does this put more money into scientific research?+3
The bill utilizes academic experts in food toxicology to conduct scientific reviews of food safety.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-4
Manufacturers face potential civil penalties and the risk of product recalls or unapproved status for their substances.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?-3
The bill imposes new compliance requirements and potential civil penalties on food manufacturers.
Would farmers be better off under this?-2
The regulatory scrutiny on food additives may increase operational burdens for those in the food production supply chain.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Oversight of Food Safety: The establishment of a Board to review the validity of covered GRAS designations ensures that substances used in food are evaluated for safety (Section 2, subsection a and c).
-
Transparency in Safety Determinations: The Board is required to submit reports to the Secretary and Congress, which must be made publicly available on the Food and Drug Administration website (Section 2, subsection f).
-
Prioritized Review of Safety Concerns: The Board will categorize designations into three tiers, allowing for high-priority reviews of certain substances (Section 2, subsection c).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Financial Penalties for Manufacturers: Food manufacturers that fail to comply with the requirement to identify their covered GRAS designations may face civil penalties (Section 2, subsection d).
-
Regulatory Burdens on Food Substances: Failure to comply with the notice requirements may result in the Secretary treating a substance as an unapproved food additive or deeming it unsafe (Section 2, subsection d).
-
Mandatory Product Recalls: If a designation is revoked, the Secretary will establish procedures to ensure the manufacturer ceases distribution and recalls the substance (Section 2, subsection e).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+6Improves Small Business Support-3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+3
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+2Good For Middle Class Households+2Good For Business Owners-4Good For Farmers-2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- 8/17/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/30/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Introduced in House
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey