Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-110

§2626 Development and Evaluation of Test Methods

Title 15 › CHAPTER 53 — TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL › SUBCHAPTER I — CONTROL OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES › § 2626

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, after talking with the EPA Administrator and working through the Assistant Secretary for Health, can run projects, give grants to public, nonprofit, or private groups, or make contracts to develop and test low-cost, efficient ways to find and measure how chemical substances and mixtures affect health and the environment (for example, their toxicity, how long they last, and other traits). These methods can be used to create the information needed to meet rules, orders, or consent agreements under section 2603. The EPA Administrator must consider these methods when setting protocols and methods under section 2603. No grant or contract can be made unless the Secretary approves an application. The Secretary decides the form of the application, what information it must include, and any conditions on the award. Contracts under this authority may be made without following the usual rules in 31 U.S.C. 3324(a) and (b) and 41 U.S.C. 6101.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §2626

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Administrator and acting through the Assistant Secretary for Health, may conduct, and make grants to public and nonprofit private entities and enter into contracts with public and private entities for, projects for the development and evaluation of inexpensive and efficient methods (1) for determining and evaluating the health and environmental effects of chemical substances and mixtures, and their toxicity, persistence, and other characteristics which affect health and the environment, and (2) which may be used for the development of information to meet the requirements of rules, orders, or consent agreements under section 2603 of this title. The Administrator shall consider such methods in prescribing under section 2603 of this title protocols and methodologies for the development of information.
(b)Approval by Secretary
No grant may be made or contract entered into under subsection (a) unless an application therefor has been submitted to and approved by the Secretary. Such an application shall be submitted in such form and manner and contain such information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary may apply such conditions to grants and contracts under subsection (a) as the Secretary determines are necessary to carry out the purposes of such subsection. Contracts may be entered into under such subsection without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In subsec. (b), “section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41” substituted for “section 3648 and 3709 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 529; 41 U.S.C. 5)” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, which Act enacted Title 31, Money and Finance, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–182 substituted “Health and Human Services” for “Health, Education, and Welfare”, “information” for “test data” in two places, “rules, orders, or consent agreements” for “rules promulgated”, and “protocols and methodologies” for “standards”. 1995—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–66 struck out heading and text of subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “(1) The Secretary shall prepare and submit to the President and the Congress on or before January 1 of each year a report of the number of grants made and contracts entered into under this section and the results of such grants and contracts. “(2) The Secretary shall periodically publish in the Federal Register reports describing the progress and results of any contract entered into or grant made under this section.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1977, see section 31 of Pub. L. 94–469, set out as a note under section 2601 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 2626

Title 15, Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110