The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published a report discussing the failure of federal agencies to comply with the Congressional Review Act, which has, since 1996, required that they submit their final rules to both houses of Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) before they can take effect. According to the report, CRS has identified some 1,000 final rules published in the Federal Register during seven of the past 10 years and not submitted to GAO and/or Congress. Among the “missing” rules were (i) a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule on national school lunch procurement requirements, (ii) a USDA rule on the Farm Service Agency’s direct farm loan programs, (iii) a USDA rule on farm program payment limitations and eligibility under the CCC program, (iv) the Environmental Protection Agency’s April 2009 rule on its “Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program,” describing the policies and procedures the agency intended to adopt…
Category Archives Issue 332
In a development that could have a significant impact on the global food industry, the U.K.’s House of Lords has completed an inquiry into the use of nanotechnology in foods, food packaging and food contact materials. In a January 8, 2010, press release and comprehensive report accompanied by a separate volume of evidence, the Lords’ Science and Technology Committee criticizes the food industry for “not publishing or discussing details of its research in this area.” The committee calls for the government “to adequately fund research into potential health and safety risks arising from the use of nanomaterials in the food sector” and recommends that the Food Standards Agency “contribute to consumer confidence in the use of nanomaterials in food by maintaining a publicly available register of food and food packaging containing nanomaterials.” Noting the unavailability to border and port authorities of “tests to check whether imported food contains nanomaterials,” the committee…
