Title 21, Food and DrugsRelease 119-110

§384e Recognition of Foreign Government Inspections

Title 21 › CHAPTER 9 — FEDERAL FOOD, DRUG, AND COSMETIC ACT › SUBCHAPTER VIII — IMPORTS AND EXPORTS › § 384e

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Health to make agreements with foreign governments to accept inspections done by those governments of foreign drug facilities. The goal is to help with preapproval or risk-based checks. The Secretary can only make such deals with governments that the Secretary finds able to meet U.S. inspection standards. The Secretary must review and audit a foreign government’s drug-safety programs as needed to be sure they are capable. Results from those foreign inspections can count as evidence that a facility meets certain U.S. safety rules (including section 351(a)(2)(B) and section 381(r)) or for other uses the Secretary finds appropriate. Starting within 1 year after December 29, 2022, the Secretary must regularly consider whether to add more agreements. Starting within 4 years after December 29, 2022, and every 4 years after that, the Secretary must report the review findings to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

Full Legal Text

Title 21, §384e

Food and Drugs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Inspection
The Secretary—
(1)may enter into arrangements and agreements with a foreign government or an agency of a foreign government to recognize the inspection of foreign establishments registered under section 360(i) of this title in order to facilitate preapproval or risk-based inspections in accordance with the schedule established in paragraph (2) or (3) of section 360(h) of this title;
(2)may enter into arrangements and agreements with a foreign government or an agency of a foreign government under this section only with a foreign government or an agency of a foreign government that the Secretary has determined as having the capability of conducting inspections that meet the applicable requirements of this chapter; and
(3)shall perform such reviews and audits of drug safety programs, systems, and standards of a foreign government or agency for the foreign government as the Secretary deems necessary to determine that the foreign government or agency of the foreign government is capable of conducting inspections that meet the applicable requirements of this chapter.
(b)Results of inspection
The results of inspections performed by a foreign government or an agency of a foreign government under this section may be used as—
(1)evidence of compliance with section 351(a)(2)(B) of this title or section 381(r) of this title; and
(2)for any other purposes as determined appropriate by the Secretary.
(c)Periodic review
(1)In general
Beginning not later than 1 year after December 29, 2022, the Secretary shall periodically assess whether additional arrangements and agreements with a foreign government or an agency of a foreign government, as allowed under this section, are appropriate.
(2)Reports to Congress
Beginning not later than 4 years after December 29, 2022, and every 4 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report describing the findings and conclusions of each review conducted under paragraph (1).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 117–328, § 3613(c)(1), inserted “preapproval or” before “risk-based inspections”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–328, § 3613(c)(2), added subsec. (c). 2017—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–52 substituted “paragraph (2) or (3) of section 360(h)” for “section 360(h)(3)”. 2016—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–255 substituted “conducting” for “conduction”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

21 U.S.C. § 384e

Title 21, Food and Drugs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110