Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025
Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Summary of HR 852: Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025 **What the Bill Does** This bill would give the FDA stronger authority to investigate foodborne illness outbreaks by allowing it to request access to large-scale animal farming operations (known as concentrated animal-feeding operations) to collect samples. The FDA could collect samples from animals, plants, water, and the surrounding environment at these facilities when investigating disease outbreaks or addressing public health concerns. Farms would be required to grant reasonable access, and those refusing could face penalties. **Who It Affects** The bill primarily affects large animal farming operations that raise livestock in confined or stabled conditions at significant scale.
It also impacts public health agencies (federal, state, and the USDA) who would receive shared data from the sampling efforts. Consumers could benefit if the expanded investigative authority helps prevent foodborne illness outbreaks from reaching the public. **Current Status** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been voted on by the full House. It remains in the early stages of the legislative process.
CRS Official Summary
Expanded Food Safety Investigation Act of 2025This bill provides that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may, under specified circumstances, request access to a concentrated animal-feeding operation (i.e., a stabled or confined animal-feeding operation of a specified size) to conduct microbial sampling.Specifically, the bill allows the FDA to request access if the FDA determines that sampling is necessary to facilitate an investigation of a foodborne-illness outbreak, determine the cause of an outbreak, or address other public health needs. Concentrated animal-feeding operations must provide reasonable access for sampling, including sampling of plants, animals, water, and the environment. The bill imposes penalties on operations that refuse to provide reasonable access. Data collected in sampling efforts under this bill must be shared with the Department of Agriculture and state and federal public health agencies to facilitate the detection, investigation, and prevention of foodborne illness.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.