H.R. 597

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 597 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 597

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify and update 
the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to ensure national 
uniformity in the regulation of the labels, labeling, and advertising 
of companion animal pet food, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 21, 2025

Mr. Womack (for himself, Mr. Valadao, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Harder 
of California, and Mr. Schmidt) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to clarify and update 
the authority of the Food and Drug Administration to ensure national 
uniformity in the regulation of the labels, labeling, and advertising 
of companion animal pet food, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Pet Food Uniform 
Regulatory Reform Act of 2025'' or the ``PURR Act of 2025''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Pet food regulation.
Sec. 4. Responsibilities.
Sec. 5. Regulations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The pet food industry is a growing sector in the United 
States. Pet food exports have increased by double digits over 
the last few years.
(2) United States pet food manufacturers contribute to the 
national economy by buying nearly $7,000,000,000 worth of 
agricultural products from farmers, ranchers, and farm-product 
processors every year.
(3) Pet ownership has consistently grown in the United 
States, resulting in an increase in pet food sales and an 
accompanying increase in the interest by pet owners in how 
their companion animals' food is regulated and produced.
(4) Historically, pet food and livestock feed have been 
regulated under the same framework. However, as pet owners' 
relationships with their pets have changed, so too has their 
understanding of pets' nutritional needs and preferences. Pet 
food is specifically formulated to ensure complete nutrition 
for the long and healthy lives of companion animals. Owning a 
companion animal provides profound mental, social, and physical 
health benefits for pet owners such as reduced blood pressure 
and stress levels, and research indicates that companion 
animals can play a role in managing depression. Before the 
enactment of this Act, the regulatory framework that was 
originally created for livestock feed no longer met the needs 
of pets or their owners.
(5) Before the enactment of this Act, the regulatory 
framework governing pet food manufacture and sale, from 
ingredient approvals to labeling requirements, was multifaceted 
and wildly inconsistent. Regulatory regimes varied by State, 
were developed in part by a combination of nongovernmental 
entities and State government agencies, and were overseen by 
the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary 
Medicine.
(6) Creating a more streamlined Federal regulatory process 
for new pet food ingredients allows for expedited advances for 
nutrition, greater innovation, and more functionality in a more 
predictable regulatory environment.
(7) Replacing the patchwork of regulation of pet food with 
a uniform Federal regulatory framework improves marketplace 
certainty, allows for more consistent and predictable 
ingredient review and market introductions, and enhances 
companion animal nutrition.
(8) The nationwide availability of nutritious, safe, and 
affordable pet food is substantially improved through a unified 
comprehensive Federal system of oversight of the manufacture 
and sale of pet food.
(9) The manufacture of pet food and its marketing and sale 
is undertaken throughout the United States and its territories 
and is interstate commerce.

SEC. 3. PET FOOD REGULATION.

Chapter IV of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 425. PET FOOD.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `companion animal' means a domesticated 
canine or feline.
``(2) The terms `generally recognized as safe' and `GRAS' 
mean generally recognized as safe under section 201(s).
``(3) The term `pet food' means any food manufactured and 
distributed for consumption by companion animals, including 
treats, nutritional supplements, and pet food ingredients.
``(4) The term `pet food ingredient' means an ingredient 
intended for use in pet food.
``(5) The term `pet food ingredient submission' means a 
submission to the Food and Drug Administration for a pet food 
ingredient that is a petition under section 409 for any food 
additive, a petition under section 721 for a color additive, or 
a GRAS ingredient notification under subpart E of part 570 of 
subchapter E of chapter I of title 21, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or successor regulations).
``(b) Preemption.--
``(1) In general.--No State or a political subdivision of a 
State may directly or indirectly establish, maintain, 
implement, or enforce any authority or requirement relating to 
the labels, labeling, and advertising of pet food.
``(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to restrict State food safety oversight 
activities, including any such activities relating to 
implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, 
outbreak investigations, surveillance sampling, or 
investigations of consumer complaints.
``(c) GRAS Ingredients.--
``(1) Ingredients deemed gras.--Ingredients that are 
intended for use in pet food, and are not specifically 
authorized for such use by the Food and Drug Administration as 
a food additive, a color additive, or otherwise as of the date 
of enactment of the PURR Act of 2025, are deemed to be GRAS 
if--
``(A) such ingredients are identified in chapter 6 
of the 2024 edition of the `AAFCO Official Publication' 
(or any subsequent amendments thereto or editions 
thereof) as acceptable for use in pet food (whether 
specifically for use in dog or cat food, or for use in 
animal food without restriction to species); and
``(B) there is no finding by the Food and Drug 
Administration that such ingredients are not GRAS.
``(2) Voluntary notification.--A pet food manufacturer is 
not required to notify the Food and Drug Administration of GRAS 
ingredients used in pet food, but may voluntarily notify the 
Food and Drug Administration of such GRAS ingredients that have 
not previously been recognized by the Food and Drug 
Administration as GRAS for use in pet food.
``(d) Timely Review.--Not later than 90 days after receipt of a pet 
food ingredient submission, the Secretary shall review such submission 
and issue an action letter that--
``(1) approves such submission or, in the case of a GRAS 
ingredient notification, does not object to use; or
``(2) sets forth--
``(A) the specific deficiencies in such submission; 
and
``(B) where appropriate, the actions necessary--
``(i) for such submission to be approved; 
or
``(ii) in the case of a GRAS ingredient 
notification, to resolve any concerns of the 
Secretary.
``(e) Ingredients Sometimes Present.--
``(1) In general.--Pet food shall not be treated as 
misbranded by reason of stating in the pet food ingredient list 
on the product label that an ingredient of a type described in 
paragraph (2) is sometimes, but not always, present in the pet 
food.
``(2) Types of ingredients.--Paragraph (1) applies with 
respect to the following types of ingredients:
``(A) Fat or oil ingredients.
``(B) Flavor ingredients.
``(C) Grain ingredients (including grain protein 
ingredients).
``(3) Language to be used.--For an ingredient in pet food 
to be labeled as sometimes present for purposes of paragraph 
(1), such ingredient shall be identified by--
``(A) words such as `or', `and/or', or `contains 
one or more of the following:'; or
``(B) other words indicating that the ingredient 
may not be present.
``(f) Order of Ingredient Listing.--
``(1) In general.--Pet food shall be treated as misbranded 
unless the ingredients required to be declared on the labeling 
of a pet food are listed by common or usual name in descending 
order of predominance by weight.
``(2) Exception.--If an ingredient in pet food is present 
in amounts of 2 percent or less by weight, then instead of 
identifying the ingredient in the order required by paragraph 
(1), the ingredient may be placed at the end of the pet food 
ingredient list following an appropriate quantifying statement, 
such as `Contains __ percent or less of ______' or `Less than 
__ percent of ______', with the blank percentage filled in with 
a threshold level of 2 percent, or, if desired, 1.5 percent, 
1.0 percent, or 0.5 percent, as applicable.
``(g) Permissible Marketing Claims.--Pet food shall not be treated 
as misbranded by reason of the following claims on labels and labeling 
and in advertising for pet food, without premarket approval of such 
claims by the Food and Drug Administration, if truthful, nonmisleading, 
and adequately substantiated:
``(1) Claims regarding hairball control.
``(2) Claims regarding tartar control, plaque removal, and 
bad breath odor.
``(3) Claims regarding the ability of pet food to support 
general urinary tract health.
``(4) `Human grade' claims for finished pet food (not for 
individual ingredients) if all of the following circumstances 
are met:
``(A) Every ingredient in the pet food and the 
finished product is--
``(i) stored, handled, processed, and 
transported in accordance with--
``(I) section 117 of title 21, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations); and
``(II) the laws applicable to food 
for human consumption, including such 
laws relating to ingredients, process, 
or facility type; and
``(ii) manufactured in accordance with 
section 507 of title 21, Code of Federal 
Regulations (or successor regulations).
``(B) Each facility that manufactures the finished 
pet food or an ingredient in the finished pet food is 
registered pursuant to section 415 as a human food 
facility.
``(C) The `human grade' claims clearly indicate 
that the food is pet food, such as by stating `dog 
food' or `cat treats'.
``(5) `Natural' claims if all of the following 
circumstances are met:
``(A) Subject to subparagraph (C), the term 
`natural' refers to a food or ingredient derived solely 
from plant, animal, or mined sources--
``(i) in its unprocessed state; or
``(ii) having been subject to physical 
processing, heat processing, rendering, 
purification, extraction, hydrolysis, 
enzymolysis, or fermentation, but not having 
been produced by or subject to a chemically 
synthetic process and not containing any 
additives or processing aids that are 
chemically synthetic except in amounts as might 
occur unavoidably in good manufacturing 
practices.
``(B) The term `natural' is only used to reference 
the product as a whole when all of the ingredients and 
components of ingredients meet the description in 
subparagraph (A).
``(C) If the food or ingredient contains chemically 
synthesized vitamins, minerals, or other trace 
nutrients used as ingredients in pet food, a 
disclaimer--
``(i) discloses the addition of such 
vitamins, minerals, and other trace nutrients 
by name or category;
``(ii) is juxtaposed with the term 
`natural'; and
``(iii) appears with the largest or most 
prominent use of the term `natural' on each 
panel of the label on which the term appears, 
in the same style and color print and at least 
one-half the size of the term natural.
``(D) A disclaimer under subparagraph (C) is not 
required when the term `natural' is used in reference 
to one ingredient and is not referring to the whole 
product.
``(h) Guidance on Certain Topics.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall issue guidance with 
respect to pet food addressing each of the following topics:
``(A) Methods for substantiating nutritional 
adequacy of pet foods.
``(B) Pet food metabolizable energy protocols.
``(C) Affidavits for pet food testing protocol 
completion.
``(D) Data to support a calorie content claim.
``(E) Analytical variations (Avs).
``(F) Recommendations for use of menadione sodium 
bisulfite complex (MSBC) in animal feed.
``(2) Initial guidance.--
``(A) Timing.--Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of the PURR Act of 2025, the 
Secretary shall issue initial guidance under this 
subsection.
``(B) Basis.--The initial guidance under 
subparagraph (A) shall be based on the guidance 
contained in the 2024 edition of the `AAFCO Official 
Publication'.''.

SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES.

Title X of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 391 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 1015. RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PET FOOD REGULATION.

``(a) Delegation of Responsibility.--The Secretary shall delegate 
to the Director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine responsibility 
for carrying out section 425 and, as appropriate, other 
responsibilities and authorities of the Food and Drug Administration 
with respect to pet food.
``(b) Duties.--The responsibilities of the Director of the Center 
for Veterinary Medicine shall include--
``(1) conducting and coordinating science-based reviews of 
pet food ingredient submissions;
``(2) submitting an annual report to the Congress on 
performance metrics, including performance on--
``(A) the review of submissions and issuance of 
action letters under section 425(d);
``(B) the issuance of initial guidance under 
section 425(h) and any subsequent revisions to such 
guidance; and
``(C) the proposal and finalization of initial 
regulations under section 5 of the PURR Act of 2025 and 
any subsequent revisions to such regulations;
``(3) educating pet owners, veterinarians, and the 
companion animal industry about pet food;
``(4) communicating and educating consumers on the safety 
of pet food; and
``(5) carrying out research to support and improve policies 
and regulatory decisions regarding pet food.
``(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms `companion animal', 
`pet food', and `pet food ingredient submission' have the meanings 
given to those terms in section 425.''.

SEC. 5. REGULATIONS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, shall--
(1) not later than one year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, issue proposed regulations to implement the 
amendments made by this Act; and
(2) not later than two years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, finalize such regulations.
(b) Contents.--The initial regulations promulgated to implement the 
amendments made by this Act shall include PF 1 through PF 12 of the 
``Model Regulations for Pet Food and Specialty Pet Food Under the Model 
Bill'' in chapter 4 of the 2024 edition of the ``AAFCO Official 
Publication''.
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