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S. 4974 119th Congress Senate

Making America's Food Safer Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to food safety.

Introduced: July 14, 2026 Introduced by: Tommy Tuberville Republican · Alabama See on congress.gov
Health Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of Health and Human ServicesFood supply, safety, and labelingIntergovernmental relationsLicensing and registrations
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 Everywhere this bill has been 11 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 5, 2026
Held at the desk.
Oct 5, 2026
Received in the House.
Sep 28, 2026
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Sep 28, 2026
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Sep 28, 2026
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5121-5122; text: CR S5121-5122)
Sep 28, 2026
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5121-5122; text: CR S5121-5122)
Jul 28, 2026
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 530.
Jul 28, 2026
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Jul 22, 2026
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jul 14, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Jul 14, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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What's happening now October 5, 2026

Held at the desk.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Making America's Food Safer Act

This bill expands the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) authority to require the destruction of unsafe imported foods, share food safety information, and make use of food facility audit information.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the FDA to order the destruction, without the opportunity for export, of any item that (1) is refused import into the United States; (2) violates federal law regulating food, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, and tobacco products; and (3) presents a significant public health concern. Before issuing a destruction order, the FDA must provide an item’s owner or consignee with appropriate due process, including notice and an opportunity to appear. If an order is issued, the item’s owner or consignee must destroy it within 90 days at their own cost.

The bill also generally authorizes the FDA to share unredacted food safety information with state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities, including information related to foodborne illness tracking, recalls and outbreaks, and other topics. During a food safety incident, the FDA may disclose certain commercial information that is otherwise protected from disclosure.

Finally, the bill expands the FDA’s third-party audit system to make domestic food facilities eligible for voluntary audits. (Foreign facilities are eligible under current law.) The bill also authorizes the FDA to use audit results and related certifications to analyze risks and prioritize regulatory activities (e.g., inspections) to protect public health. (This information is currently used to determine whether specific food, or food from a specific facility, is eligible for import.)

 Hearings & markups 1
 Bill text 3 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Lobbying activity 2

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

Bodies those filers lobbied

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1
D
Kaine, Tim
Virginia · Jul 20, 2026
 R
Cassidy, Bill
Louisiana · Jul 14, 2026
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 4974: Making America's Food Safer Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4974/
MLA
"S. 4974: Making America's Food Safer Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4974/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 4974, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4974/.
Markdown link
[S. 4974: Making America's Food Safer Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-4974/)
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