Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Sound Science for Farmers Act of 2024”.
Sound Science for Farmers Act of 2024
A BILL
To amend the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 to revise the duties of the Science Advisory Board, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Science Advisory Board
Section 8 of the Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 (42 U.S.C. 4365) is amended—
by striking the section designation and all that follows through “Protection Agency” in subsection (a) and inserting the following:
“8. Science Advisory Board
“(a) Establishment; requests for advice—The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (referred to in this section as the Administrator)”
in subsection (a)—
by inserting “(referred to in this section as the “Board”)” after “Advisory Board”; and
by striking “requested by” and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following:
“(1) the Administrator;
“(2) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate;
“(3) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate;
“(4) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;
“(5) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives;
“(6) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives;
“(7) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; or
“(8) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.”
in subsection (b)—
by striking “(b) Such Board” and inserting the following:
“(b) Membership; chairman; meetings; qualifications
“(1) In general—The Board”
in paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the second sentence, by striking “Each member” and inserting the following:
“(2) Qualifications—Each member”
in subsection (c)—
by striking “(c)(1) The Administrator” and inserting the following:
“(c) Provision of certain documentation; advice and comments of Board
“(1) Provision to Board—The Administrator”
in paragraph (1)—
by inserting “or draft risk or hazard assessment,” after “any proposed”;
by inserting “(42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.)” after “Clean Air Act”;
by inserting “(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.)” after “Pollution Control Act”;
by striking “Resource, Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976” and inserting “Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.) (commonly known as the “Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976”)”;
by inserting “of 1972 (42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.)” after “Noise Control Act”;
by inserting “(15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.)” after “Substances Control Act”;
by inserting “(42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.)” after “Water Act”;
by striking “formal”; and
by inserting “or draft risk or hazard assessment,” after “such proposed”; and
in paragraph (2)—
by striking “(2) The Board” and inserting the following:
“(2) Advice and comments of Board
“(A) In general—The Board”
in subparagraph (A) (as so designated), by inserting “or draft risk or hazard assessment,” after “basis of the proposed”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(B) Inclusions in record—Any advice or comments made available by the Board under subparagraph (A), including any dissenting views of members of the Board, and the response of the Administrator to the advice, comments, or dissenting views shall be—
“(i) included in the record with respect to the applicable proposed or draft risk or hazard assessment, criteria document, standard, limitation, or regulation; and
“(ii) published in the Federal Register.”
in subsection (d), by striking “(d) In preparing such advice and comments” and inserting the following:
“(d) Use of technical and scientific capabilities of Federal agencies and national environmental laboratories for determining adequacy of scientific and technical basis of proposed documentation—In preparing advice and comments under subsection (c)(2)”
in subsection (e)(2), by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Requirements—With respect to a risk assessment or risk management activity that may have an impact on the agricultural or food safety sector of the United States, the Administrator may not issue or peer review a draft or final assessment intended for inclusion in the Integrated Risk Information System, nor may the Administrator issue or peer review a draft or final risk evaluation or regulation under section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2605), unless—
“(i) the draft or final assessment, evaluation, or regulation has been provided in advance to the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Small Business Administration—
“(I) for a period of not less than 90 days; and
“(II) in a manner consistent with—
“(aa) Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regulatory planning and review); and
“(bb) the docketing requirements described in section 411 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2691);
“(ii) the draft or final assessment, evaluation, or regulation has been fully reviewed, including for scientific quality, transparency, reproducibility of key results, consistency with real world exposure scenarios, and potential effects on the agricultural sector, by the standing agriculture-related committee established under subparagraph (A)(i); and
“(iii) the Administrator—
“(I) has notified the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Energy and Natural Resources, and Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committees on Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives in writing at the commencement of the issuance or peer review process with respect to the draft or final assessment, evaluation, or regulation; and
“(II) submitted to those committees a written report on the results of the issuance or peer review process.”
in subsection (f)—
by striking “(f)(1) Upon the recommendation” and inserting the following:
“(f) Personnel matters
“(1) Personnel
“(A) Appointment—On the recommendation”
in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) (as so designated), in the second sentence, by striking “The compensation” and inserting the following:
“(B) Compensation—The compensation”
in paragraph (2), by striking “(2) Members of the Board” and inserting the following:
“(2) Compensation of Board members—Members of the Board”
in subsection (g)—
by striking “(g) In carrying out” and inserting the following:
“(g) Consultation and coordination—In carrying out”
by striking “its activities with the Scientific” and inserting the following:
“(1) the Scientific”
in paragraph (1) (as so designated), by striking “, as amended.” and inserting “(7 U.S.C. 136w(d)); and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(2) the Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals established by the Administrator under section 26(o) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2625(o)).”
in subsection (i), by inserting “Science, Space, and Technology,” after “Transportation and Infrastructure,”.