,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #abhg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #bj1 #bjac    
,mr4 ,fincher 7for himself1 ,mr4        
,mc,intyre1 ,mr4 ,crawford1 ,mr4        
,peterson1 ,mr4 ,bucshon1 ,mr4 ,bishop  
of ,georgia1 and ,mr4 ,cole7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,oversight and     
,government ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
ensure high standards for ,federal      
agency use of scientific information4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,sound ,science ,act of #bjac4  
#b4 ,ensuring high standards for agency 
use of scientific information  7a7      
,requirement for final guidelines ,not  
later than ,january #a1 #bjad1 each     
,federal agency shall have in effect    
guidelines for ensuring and maximizing  
the quality1 objectivity1 utility1 and  
integrity of scientific information     
relied upon by such agency4  7b7        
,content of guidelines ,the guidelines  
described in subsection 7a71 with       

respect to a ,federal agency1 shall     
ensure that--  7#a7 when scientific     
information is considered by the agency 
in policy decisions--  7,a7 the         
information is subject to               
well-established scientific processes1  
including peer review where appropriate2
  7,b7 the agency appropriately applies 
the scientific information to the policy
 decision2  7,c7 except for information 
that is protected from disclosure by law
 or administrative practice1 the agency 
makes available to the public the       
scientific information considered by the
 agency2  7,d7 the agency gives greatest
 weight to information that is based on 
experimental1 empirical1 quantifiable1  
and reproducible data that is developed 
in accordance with well-established     
scientific processes2 and  7,e7 with    
respect to any proposed rule issued by  
the agency1 such agency follows         
procedures that include1 to the extent  
feasible and permitted by law1 an       
opportunity for public comment on all   

relevant scientific findings2  7#b7 the 
agency has procedures in place to make  
policy decisions only on the basis of   
the best reasonably obtainable          
scientific1 technical1 economic1 and    
other evidence and information          
concerning the need for1 consequences   
of1 and alternatives to the decision2   
and  7#c7 the agency has in place       
procedures to identify and address      
instances in which the integrity of     
scientific information considered by the
 agency may have been compromised1      
including instances in which such       
information may have been the product of
 a scientific process that was          
compromised4  7c7 ,approval needed for  
policy decisions ,to take effect ,no    
policy decision issued after ,january   
#a1 #bjad1 by an agency subject to this 
section may take effect prior to such   
date that the agency has in effect      
guidelines under subsection 7a7 that    
have been approved by the ,director of  
the ,office of ,science and ,technology 

,policy4  7d7 ,policy decisions not in  
compliance ,a policy decision of an     
agency that does not comply with        
guidelines approved under subsection 7c7
 shall be deemed to be arbitrary1       
capricious1 an abuse of discretion1 and 
otherwise not in accordance with law4   
7e7 ,definitions ,for purposes of this  
section3  7#a7 ,agency ,the term agency 
has the meaning given such term in      
section #eea7a7 of title #e1 ,united    
,states ,code4  7#b7 ,policy decision   
,the term policy decision means1 with   
respect to an agency1 an agency action  
as defined in section #eea7ac7 of title 
#e1 ,united ,states ,code1 7other than  
an adjudication1 as defined in section  
#eea7g7 of such title71 and includes--  
7,a7 the listing1 labeling1 or other    
identification of a substance1 product1 
or activity as hazardous or creating    
risk to human health1 safety1 or the    
environment2 and  7,b7 agency guidance4 
7#c7 ,agency guidance ,the term agency  
guidance means an agency statement of   

general applicability and future effect1
 other than a regulatory action1 that   
sets forth a policy on a statutory1     
regulatory1 or technical issue or on an 
interpretation of a statutory or        
regulatory issue4