Federal and State Food Safety Information Sharing Act of 2026

This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to enhance food safety coordination by authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to share unredacted food safety information with State, local, Tribal, and Territorial authorities. This provision overrides existing confidentiality restrictions, such as section 301(j), to facilitate better inter-agency communication.

The information authorized for sharing includes

• foodborne illness surveillance data
• laboratory sampling testing information
• inspectional information and results
• distribution lists for recalls and outbreaks
• consumer complaints

and any other data the Secretary deems helpful for public protection. Such information is to be shared as soon as reasonably practicable to enable timely responses to food safety threats.

Authorities receiving this information are generally prohibited from further disclosure without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) permission, unless it is necessary to contain a foodborne illness outbreak, carry out a recall, or conduct other State enforcement activities. Furthermore, the bill extends the maximum duration for certain food safety grants from three years to five years, with subsequent funding contingent on successful program evaluations after the first year.