Strengthening scientific standards

Section 26 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2625) is amended— (1) in subsection (h)— (A) in paragraph (4), by striking and at the end; (B) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and (C) by adding at the end the following: (6) if the Administrator is relying on the scientific standards described in this subsection or the weighting described in subsection (i), the extent to which any draft or final scientific assessment or risk evaluation developed by the Administrator is consistent with those standards or that weighting; (7) to the extent that the Administrator establishes any worker protection standards, the results of consultations with— (A) other Federal departments and agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; and (B) to evaluate the need for a unique worker protection standard established by the Administrator, trained experts in industrial hygiene, toxicology, engineering, and process safety (including industry experts); and (8) the comments and expertise of other Federal departments and agencies, as provided pursuant to the interagency review process required under section 6(b)(4)(F)(viii), including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Department of Agriculture.; and (2) in subsection (o), by adding at the end the following: (5) Committee review (A) In-person peer review When reviewing a risk evaluation carried out under section 6(b), the Committee shall conduct a complete in-person peer review. (B) Period of review In carrying out subparagraph (A), the Committee shall provide a period of not less than 30 days to allow reviewers— (i) to conduct peer reviews; and (ii) to ensure a thorough review of— (I) the risk evaluation, including the underlying science relied on by the Administration and the risk determinations of the Administrator; and (II) the quality and scientific veracity of any draft or final scientific assessment relied on by the Administrator in conducting the risk evaluation..