08.05.2013

Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Susan Collins (R-ME) took the lead on a critical public health issue by introducing the Antimicrobial Data Collection Act. The Act would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report more of the information it already collects about antibiotics used in animal feed to the public. The bill would also require FDA to come up with a pilot data collection and analysis program to analyze antibiotic resistance trends and address data gaps, and to speed up its process on its proposed voluntary guidance. In addition, within 180 days of its enactment, the bill would require FDA to finalize a set of policies aimed at eliminating the use of antibiotics for making food animals grow faster.