A coalition of more than 100 organizations, including the American Chemistry Council (ACC) and the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), is urging Congress to advance targeted improvements to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) while reauthorizing the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) fee authority. Representing a broad spectrum of the US economy, the coalition sent a letter to all Senate and House offices this week, emphasizing the need for a well-resourced, efficient chemical regulatory program that supports innovation and strengthens domestic manufacturing.
The coalition’s letter highlights the importance of ensuring that the EPA’s chemical review process is timely, science-driven, and risk-based, while avoiding unnecessary barriers to innovation. It also stresses the urgency of reauthorizing the EPA’s TSCA fee authority, which is critical for the agency to fulfill its statutory responsibilities and maintain accountability.
Chris Jahn, president and CEO of the American Chemistry Council, underscored the significance of this legislative opportunity.
“House and Senate Committees have already put forward draft language and launched the hearing process,” he said. “Coupling TSCA fee reauthorization with targeted implementation fixes gives lawmakers a credible path to improve accountability, address longstanding review delays, and demonstrate that TSCA can protect health and the environment while supporting innovation, investment, and manufacturing jobs.”
Proposed TSCA amendments aim to streamline chemical approvals
The proposed discussion bill, introduced in January, seeks to amend TSCA by allowing the EPA to fast-track approvals for chemicals already authorized in select other countries. It also directs the agency to prioritize chemicals designed to replace more hazardous substances and those developed to address supply chain challenges for critical materials.
Douglas Troutman, assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, emphasized the importance of TSCA reform during an ACC event in Washington, DC. He noted that the work to amend TSCA, which governs environmental and human health safety reviews of new chemicals, “is extremely important to the Trump administration.”
The coalition’s letter outlines several key recommendations for Congress, including ensuring timely and predictable reviews of new chemicals, avoiding delays that discourage the adoption of innovative chemistries, following a science-driven and risk-based approach to regulating a chemical’s intended use, clarifying the statutory exemption for replacement parts enacted in 2016, and providing additional clarity and accountability.
Industry leaders call for collaboration to advance TSCA improvements
The coalition, which spans the full chemicals value chain and advanced manufacturing economy, played a key role in the development of the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, which reformed TSCA in 2016. Members of the coalition remain committed to assisting lawmakers as they work to fine-tune TSCA this year.
“Making improvements to TSCA while reauthorizing EPA’s fee authority is important and necessary for Congress to pass this year,” the coalition wrote in its letter. “Doing so will ensure that EPA has the necessary resources to conduct its statutory requirements, while Congress provides oversight to ensure TSCA works as intended. We encourage you to continue to work collaboratively with stakeholders to enhance this draft language and move this key legislative process forward.”
The coalition emphasized that advancing TSCA improvements alongside fee reauthorization is both important and time-sensitive. The group said these changes will help ensure the EPA can effectively protect health and the environment while fostering innovation and growth across domestic manufacturing sectors.
Lawmaker offers foundation for reform
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, chaired a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing on March 4, 2026, to examine a discussion draft of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). During the hearing, Cramer emphasized the importance of maintaining the original intent of the law, which was enacted 50 years ago.
“Congress set a clear standard when TSCA was signed into law 50 years ago,” he said. “The EPA was to carry out the law in a reasonable and prudent manner, taking into account environmental, economic, and social impacts.” Cramer noted that this standard remains as relevant today as it was then, serving as a guiding principle for improving and implementing TSCA processes.
Reflecting on the last major amendment to TSCA a decade ago, Cramer explained that Congress aimed to modernize the statute to address contemporary needs and advancements in technology. However, he expressed concern that the EPA’s implementation of its new chemicals program has strayed from Congress’s original mandate.
“In practice today, it is neither reasonable nor prudent and ignores the environmental, economic, and social impacts from a prolonged and uncertain approval process,” Cramer said. “In the case when the EPA does approve new, often innovative and safer chemistries, the agency imposes costly, burdensome, or even unnecessary restrictions.”
Cramer also highlighted the broader implications of the current law, stating that it negatively affects the nation’s economic competitiveness and national security. He pointed to the critical role of domestic semiconductor manufacturing, which is essential for current and future defense systems, as an area impacted by the inefficiencies in the EPA’s chemical approval process. “Throughout our government and across our country, there are coordinated efforts to rebuild domestic semiconductor manufacturing – semiconductors that are required for current and future defense systems,” he said.
The senator acknowledged that the discussion draft recognizes the need for the EPA to have adequate resources to efficiently meet its statutory obligations. He noted that the draft includes a reauthorization of a user fee for new chemical applicants to support the EPA’s program.
“Taken together, the policies in the discussion draft build a system that protects public health, incentivizes innovation, and benefits the environment by giving the EPA the resources, the structure, and the direction to do its job well,” Cramer concluded. “This discussion draft is the starting point for our legislative process.”
Cramer’s remarks underscore the importance of balancing environmental protection with economic growth and innovation, as Congress works to refine and modernize TSCA to meet the needs of today’s industries and communities.
By prioritizing safer alternatives, expediting chemical approvals, and addressing supply chain challenges, the proposed amendments aim to modernize TSCA and strengthen its role in supporting the US economy. As Congress considers these changes, the coalition stands ready to collaborate and provide expertise to ensure the legislation achieves its goals.