Skip to main content
HR 8640 116th Congress House

SAFEGUARD Act of 2020

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the Public Health Oversight Panel to advise the agencies of the Public Health Service regarding the scienti… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the Public Health Oversight Panel to advise the agencies of the Public Health Service regarding the scientific basis for their actions, and for other purposes.

Introduced: October 20, 2020 See on congress.gov
Health Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAdvisory bodiesCongressional oversightDepartment of Health and Human Services
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Emergency medical services and trauma careHealth programs administration and fundingHealth promotion and preventive careInfectious and parasitic diseasesMedical researchScientific communication
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 20, 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Oct 20, 2020
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action October 20, 2020

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Scientific Agencies Following Evidence and Guaranteeing that Unscientific Agendas are Refused and Denounced Act of 2020 or the SAFEGUARD Act of 2020

This bill establishes the Public Health Oversight Panel and sets out its duties and membership.

Generally, the panel must, in consultation with relevant advisory bodies, advise Public Health Service agencies on the scientific basis for their actions.

In addition, during public health emergencies, the agencies must provide the panel with the opportunity to review the scientific basis of their regulatory activities. The agencies may not issue a regulation, order, or other guidance if the panel determines that the scientific basis of the action is incorrect or that the evidence to support the scientific basis is insufficient.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 6
All 6 Democratic 5
D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Nov 5, 2020
 D
Carson, André
Indiana · Oct 20, 2020
 D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Oct 20, 2020
 D
García, Jesús G. "Chuy"
Illinois · Oct 20, 2020
ROYBAL-ALLARD, LUCILLE
· Oct 20, 2020
 D
Soto, Darren
Florida · Oct 20, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 8640: SAFEGUARD Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8640/
MLA
"H.R. 8640: SAFEGUARD Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8640/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 8640, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8640/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 8640: SAFEGUARD Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-8640/)
Report a problem