I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 120 
To direct that certain assessments with respect to toxicity of chemicals be 
carried out by the program offices of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 9, 2023 
Mr. BIGGS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct that certain assessments with respect to toxicity 
of chemicals be carried out by the program offices of 
the Environmental Protection Agency, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Science in 
Chemical Assessments Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. RESEARCH NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF EPA PRO-
GRAM OFFICES. 
The Environmental Research, Development, and 
Demonstration Authorization Act of 1978 is amended by 
striking section 7 (42 U.S.C. 4364) and inserting the fol-
lowing new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 7. RESEARCH NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF EPA PRO-
GRAM OFFICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency shall assure that the expend-
iture of any funds appropriated pursuant to this Act or 
any other provision of law for environmental research and 
development related to regulatory program activities shall 
be coordinated with and reflect the research needs and pri-
orities of the relevant program offices, as well as the over-
all research needs and priorities of the Agency, including 
those defined in the five-year research plan. 
‘‘(b) HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND DOSE-RESPONSE 
ASSESSMENTS.—Beginning on the date of the enactment 
of the Improving Science in Chemical Assessments Act, 
any covered assessments carried out with respect to a 
chemical substance through the Integrated Risk Informa-
tion System program of the Environmental Protection 
Agency as of the day before such date of enactment shall, 
in lieu of being carried out through such program, be car-
ried out by the relevant program office of the Environ-
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mental Protection Agency, so long as the relevant program 
office determines there is a need for such an assessment. 
Such an assessment shall be carried out using the sci-
entific standards specified in section 7B and be based on 
the weight of the scientific evidence. 
‘‘(c) TOXICITY VALUES.—In carrying out a covered 
assessment with respect to a chemical substance under 
subsection (b), the relevant program office shall assign a 
toxicity value or values, when scientifically supported by 
the available data, for such chemical substance. With re-
spect to that assignment, the following shall apply: 
‘‘(1) When supported by the available data, the 
toxicity value or values shall include a range of point 
estimates of risk, as well as sources and magnitudes 
of uncertainty associated with the estimates. 
‘‘(2) When multiple point estimates can be de-
veloped, the relevant program office shall— 
‘‘(A) consider all datasets; and 
‘‘(B) make a determination about how best 
to represent the human health risk posed by the 
chemical substance involved. 
‘‘(d) CHEMICAL ASSESSMENT DATABASE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A toxicity value or values 
assigned to a chemical substance under subsection 
(c) shall be included in a chemical assessment data-
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