Summary of H.R. 8430 — Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2026

Intent and Purpose

• Introduced in the 119th Congress by Rep. Deborah Ross (with Rep. Michael Rulli as a co-sponsor), H.R. 8430 seeks to strengthen food safety coordination between the federal government and state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities.
• The core aim is to authorize the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to share certain unredacted food safety information with authorities that have counterpart public health functions, thereby improving outbreak detection, response, and enforcement at subfederal levels.

Key Provisions

1) Authorization to Share Food Safety Information (Section 2)

• Adds a new subsection (d) to Section 708 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).
• Authorized Sharing:
  • Unredacted information held by the FDA related to:
  • Foodborne illness surveillance data
  • Laboratory sampling/testing information
  • Inspectional information and results
  • Distribution lists for recalls and outbreaks
  • Consumer complaints
  • Any other information the Secretary determines will assist public health protection
• Timing: The Secretary may share this information as soon as reasonably practicable.
• Disclosure Controls: Receiving state/local/tribal/territorial authorities cannot further disclose shared information without FDA permission unless disclosure is necessary to contain a foodborne illness outbreak, carry out a recall, or perform other state enforcement activities.
• Relationship to Other Laws: The new sharing authority does not supersede existing authority to share confidential information under other laws or written agreements.

2) Conforming Amendment (Section 2, FD&C Act 301(j))

• Modifies the introductory language of section 301(j) to reflect the new subsection (d) in Section 708 and to remove a standalone period, ensuring consistency with the new sharing authority.

3) Grants to Enhance Food Safety (Section 3)

• Amends Section 1009 of the FD&C Act to extend grant terms and evaluation requirements:
  • Extension of grant duration referenced in subsections (d)(1) and (e) from 3 years to 5 years.
  • If a program evaluation occurs, continued grant funding in subsequent years is contingent on a successful Secretary evaluation after the first year of the grant.
• Applicability: These changes apply to grants awarded under Section 1009 on or after the date of enactment.

Who/What is Affected

• Federal: FDA and the broader HHS framework responsible for food safety oversight.
• State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Public Health Authorities: Eligible recipients of unredacted FDA information to support surveillance, recalls, investigations, and enforcement.
• Private entities: Indirectly affected through faster and more coordinated public health responses to foodborne illness outbreaks.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

• Status: Introduced April 22, 2026; referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
• Effective dates: Provisions about information sharing are implemented upon enactment; grant-related changes apply to grants awarded on or after enactment.
• Safeguards: Disclosure is limited to necessary circumstances and subject to permission for further disclosure unless outbreak containment or enforcement activities are involved.

Potential Impact

• Enhanced cross-jurisdictional information flow could lead to quicker outbreak detection and more effective recalls and enforcement actions.
• Longer grant periods with mandatory evaluations may improve program stability and accountability for food safety initiatives.