Dear BRS Stakeholder,

On July 2, 2015, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) directed the primary agencies that regulate the products of biotechnology—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—to update the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology (Coordinated Framework) to clarify current roles and responsibilities, develop a long-term strategy to ensure that the Federal biotechnology regulatory system is prepared for future products of biotechnology, and commission an expert analysis of the future landscape of biotechnology products to support these efforts.

On September 22, 2016, the EOP, EPA, FDA, and USDA announced the availability of two documents to further the objectives of modernizing the regulatory system for biotechnology products: (1) a proposed Update to the Coordinated Framework; and (2), a National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products.

The proposed update to the Coordinated Framework is available for a 40-day public comment period beginning September 22, 2016, through November 1, 2016. More information about this initiative, including how to submit public comments, is available on the EOP Website.