Pallone Announces Committee Passage of TSCA Modernization Act

Press Release

Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced that the Committee passed the TSCA Modernization Act. The legislation now advances to the full House of Representatives. It is a bipartisan effort to reform the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to improve the protection of human health and the environment, and to give the public greater confidence in American-made chemicals and the products that contain them.

Protecting consumers from dangerous chemicals in commerce was a long-held priority of late U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and has been worked on for years by Congressman Pallone. New Jersey has one of the largest chemical industries in the country, making reform of the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act critical.

"TSCA reform is extremely important to my home state of New Jersey, and no one knew that better than my friend Frank Lautenberg. I know he would have been proud of the work we are doing," said Congressman Pallone. "Committee passage of this breakthrough bill is a noteworthy step forward to ensuring that toxic chemicals are removed from everyday products. The long-needed legislation will also encourage continued innovation, growth, and leadership by New Jersey in this vital economic sector."

Congress enacted TSCA in 1976 to give the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to address the risks posed by the production and use of toxic chemicals in consumer products. However, because of limitations in the statute, it is widely agreed that TSCA has largely failed to fulfill its purpose.

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