Saccharin Study and Labeling Act
Public Law 95-203 · S. 1750 · 95th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Nov 23, 1977 · Agriculture and Food
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Cosponsors (5): Sen. Richard Schweiker, Sen. Claiborne Pell,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Saccharin Study and Labeling Act - Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to conduct a study to assess: (1) current technical capabilities to predict the toxic or carcinogenic effect on humans of substances which have induced cancer in animals; (2) public health benefits and risks of food containing such substances; (3) existing means of evaluating such benefits and risks, and the validity of such analysis; (4) instances in which restrictions on such substances do not accord with benefit-risk analysis; and (5) the relationship between Federal regulatory policies concerning the use of such substances for food and nonfood purposes.
Directs the Secretary to request the National Academy of Sciences, or other public or private nonprofit organizations, to conduct the study.
Directs the Secretary to conduct a study of saccharin and other nonnutritive sweeteners to determine; (1) any impurities in saccharin; (2) the toxic and carcinogenic effects of such impurities; and (3) the health benefits of saccharin and other nonnutritive sweeteners.
Requires the Secretary to report, within one year of enactment, to the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and to the Senate Committee on Human Resources the results of such study. Requires the Secretary to report, within 15 months of enactment, the results of the assessment conducted under this Act, together with recommendations for legislation deemed necessary.
Prohibits the Secretary from restricting (except for labeling requirements allowed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act) the sale or distribution of saccharin, or any food, drug, or cosmetic containing saccharin for 18 months.
States that foods containing saccharin shall be deemed to be misbranded unless such foods carry a conspicuous warning of the possible hazards to human health.
Authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations requiring retail establishments, where saccharin, or any drug, food, or cosmetic containing saccharin is sold, to display prominently, during the 18 month period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, a notice of saccharin's possible health risks.
Authorizes the Secretary by regulation to require that saccharin sold through a vending machine contain such warning notice.
Extends for six months the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 24 actions.
- Nov 23, 1977Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-203.
- Nov 15, 1977PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Nov 4, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report.
- Nov 3, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House agreed to conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 95-810.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference report filed in House, H. Rept. 95-810.
- Oct 27, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in House.
- Oct 25, 1977Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference scheduled in Senate.
- Oct 17, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, in lieu of H.R. 8518.
- CommitteeCommittee · Discharged from House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 16, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- Sep 15, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended, roll call #382 (87-7).Senate roll call 382
- FloorFloor · Motion to recommit to the Committee on Human Resources rejected in Senate roll call #380 (24-70).Senate roll call 380
- Sep 14, 1977FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in Senate.
- Jul 27, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- Jul 19, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- Jun 23, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.