H.R. 4958

In plain English

Grocery Reform And Safety Act or the GRAS Act This bill imposes premarket review requirements on certain new substances intended for use in food and requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to periodically reassess the safety of existing substances used in food.   Under current law, substances added to food generally must be approved by the FDA before use. However, substances that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by qualified experts are exempt from premarket review. Manufacturers may, but are not required to, notify the FDA when they determine a substance is GRAS. Under the bill, a new substance (or a new use of an existing substance) may not be treated as GRAS and used in food until the FDA is notified of the determination that the substance is GRAS and issues a written statement that it does not object to that determination. The notification must detail the conditions under which the substance has been determined to be GRAS and must include specified supporting information, including evidence that the substance is not toxic or carcinogenic. The FDA must seek public comment on GRAS notifications and must act on notifications within a specified period. Further,

Congressional Research Service summary from Congress.gov (not yet simplified).

Sponsor and status

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How South Carolina voted

No recorded roll-call vote on this bill yet. Most bills never get one.

Who lobbied

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No lobbying reported on this bill in the reports we have loaded (January 2025 through September 2026). Lobbyists report each quarter, about 20 days after it ends, so any lobbying since October 2026 will be added once those reports are filed.