On July 25, 2012, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the amended version of the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 bill (S. 847) to overhaul the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by increasing reporting obligations of chemical manufacturers and processors and giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) more authority to remove harmful substances off the market. The legislation could be the first major overhaul of federal chemical law since 1976. Notable amendments to the bill include: requiring manufacturers to develop and submit safety data for each chemical produced without duplicate testing and by relying on existing information; prioritizing chemicals based on risk for EPA to focus its resources on evaluating those most likely to cause harm; requiring burden of proof on chemical manufacturers to demonstrate the safety of chemicals produced; restricting uses of chemicals without proof of safety; restricting eligibility of CBI protection; encouraging innovation and development of safe chemical alternatives and expediting the review process. The Committee vote was split along party lines, with every Republican member voting against it. The bill could go to the Senate floor for a vote. See more.