By: King of Taylor (Senate Sponsor - Rodríguez) H.B. No. 1846

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 2015; May 7, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services; May 22, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 22, 2015, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to public comments on federal grants and contracts related to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter K, Chapter 431, Health and Safety Code, is amended by adding Section 431.250 to read as follows:

Sec. 431.250. PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR FEDERAL GRANTS AND CONTRACTS. (a) The department shall annually solicit comments from interested persons regarding the grants and contracts the department has requested from or entered into with the United States Food and Drug Administration for implementing the federal Act and its amendments, including the Food Safety Modernization Act (21 U.S.C. Section 2201 et seq.).

(b) The department shall solicit comments by posting on the department's Internet website a detailed description of and providing notice to interested persons of each grant and contract described by Subsection (a) requested or entered into during the previous year. The description and notice must include the benefits to this state, the department, the regulated community, and the public.

(c) The department shall respond to questions and comments about a grant or contract described by Subsection (a) to the best of the department's knowledge. If an interested person requests that the department decline to receive future federal funding from the grant or contract, the department shall consider the request and determine whether the benefits of the grant or contract outweigh the person's concerns.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.

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