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Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026Section 6703 › Proposal

Guidance is due within one year and the new rule applies at once

Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, section 6703, Sec. 6703. Written by .

Guidance is due within one year and the new rule applies at once

The document says “shallWho acts: Secretary of Health and Human ServicesHow: statuteSec. 6703 in the PDF
What the document says

“Section 505(j)(3)(H) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as added by subsection (a), applies beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, irrespective of the date on which the guidance required by subsection (b) is finalized.”

Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, Sec. 6703

Subsection (b) of section 6703 requires the Secretary to issue or update draft guidance within one year of enactment on how the sameness determination will be made, including how pH adjusters are assessed, to allow at least 60 days for comment, and to publish final guidance within one year of the comment period closing. Subsection (c) provides that the new rule applies from enactment, whether or not the guidance is final.

What the document actually says

“Section 505(j)(3)(H) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as added by subsection (a), applies beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, irrespective of the date on which the guidance required by subsection (b) is finalized.”

Making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes, Sec. 6703
That sentence, in plain words

The new rule starts on the day this law passed. It does not wait for the guidance to be finished.

What this is about

Draft guidance is due within a year, with 60 days for comment. The final version comes a year after that. The rule runs the whole time.

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