Bipartisan Bill Would Codify EPA’s Safer Choice Program

On Sept. 25, U.S. Representatives Scott Peters (Democrat-California) and Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks(Republican-Iowa) introduced the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act, legislation to formally codify and strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Choice Program.

The Safer Choice Program gives producers a voluntary framework to evaluate the human health, environmental and economic effects of the chemicals and technologies they use. This also helps consumers identify safer alternatives for cleaning and other products.

“American families shouldn’t have to be chemists to know whether the products they buy meet high standards for health, safety, and performance,” said Dr. Miller-Meeks. “This bipartisan legislation gives consumers clearer information while encouraging manufacturers to develop safer products, all without creating a new mandatory regulatory regime. As a physician, I’m proud to support a voluntary, science-based approach that gives Americans more confidence in the products they use every day.”

EPA’s Safer Choice Program has helped drive innovation in safer chemistry for decades but has never been formally authorized by Congress. The Safer Choice Program Authorization Act would permanently authorize the program so that producers have clear health and safety standards and consumers can rely on a trusted federal label for safer products.

The Safer Choice Program Authorization Act would:

• Formally authorize EPA’s Safer Choice and Design for the Environment programs.
• Maintain rigorous, science-based standards for participating products.
• Strengthen protections against conflicts of interest in product reviews.
• Ensure continued maintenance of EPA’s Safer Chemical Ingredients List.
• Support transparency, stakeholder engagement and public access to safer product information.

The legislation is supported by a wide variety of stakeholders including industry leaders, manufacturers, sustainability groups and cleaning product organizations, including ISSA, The Association for Cleaning & Facility Solutions. The bipartisan, bicameral introduction reflects growing recognition of the Safer Choice Program’s value to the cleaning and facility solutions industry, purchasers and the public. It also follows sustained advocacy by ISSA and its members, including the more than 140 industry leaders who participated in the association’s Clean Advocacy Summit fly-in event in Washington, D.C., last March. Authorization of the Safer Choice Program was a top legislative priority during more than 150 Capitol Hill meetings, where ISSA members made the case directly to congressional offices across both chambers.

For the cleaning and facility solutions industry, the stakes are significant. Cleaning professionals in schools, hospitals, office buildings and public facilities rely on Safer Choice-certified products as a trusted benchmark for both performance and safety. Formal authorization would provide manufacturers with regulatory certainty, encouraging continued innovation in safer chemistry and investment in product development aligned with the program’s rigorous standards.

“The introduction of companion legislation in the House is a major step forward for the EPA Safer Choice Program and the businesses, workers and purchasers who rely on it,” said John Nothdurft, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at ISSA. “For decades, Safer Choice has helped raise the bar for cleaning products that deliver performance while using ingredients that are safer for people and the environment. By putting this proven, voluntary program on firmer statutory footing, Congress can give manufacturers the certainty to keep innovating, give purchasers a trusted federal benchmark, and give families confidence in the products used to clean the places where they live, learn, work and receive care. ISSA thanks Representatives Peters and Miller-Meeks for their bipartisan leadership and urges Congress to advance this bill this year.”

ISSA strongly encourages industry members, cleaning professionals and stakeholders to contact their congressional delegation today and urge swift passage of the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act of 2026. Send a message directly to your U.S. Senators and Representative in ISSA’s Voter Voice Action Center.

For questions regarding the Safer Choice Program Authorization Act and ISSA Advocacy, contact John Nothdurft, [email protected].