Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA)

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA, 1938)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The FDCA was passed after a public health disaster involving a toxic drug (Elixir Sulfanilamide) killed over 100 people. It gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to oversee food, drugs, and cosmetics for safety.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 provided some regulation but lacked teeth. It did not require pre-market safety approval for drugs. The FDCA created stronger standards.

Acts

Controlled Substances Act (CSA)

Controlled Substances Act (CSA, 1970)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (21 U.S.C. § 801 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The CSA consolidated federal drug laws and established a comprehensive system for regulating the manufacture, distribution, and possession of controlled substances. It was part of President Nixon’s broader “War on Drugs.”

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Earlier laws like the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (1914) and the Marijuana Tax Act (1937) regulated certain drugs but lacked a uniform system. The CSA centralized authority under federal law.

Acts

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA, 1974)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
The SDWA was enacted to protect public drinking water supplies across the United States, setting national health-based standards and requiring states and water suppliers to ensure safety.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before SDWA, drinking water safety was primarily a state and local responsibility, with no enforceable federal standards. Pollution crises and unsafe municipal supplies prompted federal action.

Acts

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA, 1976)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.)

2) Why It Was Done
RCRA was passed to address growing concerns about solid and hazardous waste disposal, ensuring safe management from “cradle to grave” and protecting human health and the environment.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Before RCRA, waste management was largely unregulated at the federal level, with states and municipalities handling disposal. Environmental disasters highlighted the need for stronger standards.

Acts

Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA)

Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA, 2016)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 114–198)

2) Why It Was Done
CARA was enacted to combat the opioid epidemic by authorizing a comprehensive response including prevention, treatment, recovery, law enforcement, and criminal justice reform.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Controlled Substances Act (1970) and later drug laws focused on enforcement. CARA shifted federal policy toward integrating treatment and recovery support into the response.

Acts

SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (2018)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 115–271)

2) Why It Was Done
The SUPPORT Act was passed to build on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA, 2016) and provide a more robust federal response to the opioid crisis, including prevention, treatment, recovery, and Medicaid reforms.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The CSA and CARA provided a mix of enforcement and treatment policies. SUPPORT expanded CARA with a stronger public health approach and added Medicaid and Medicare reforms.

Acts

CARES Act

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (2020)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 116–136)

2) Why It Was Done
The CARES Act was enacted to provide massive emergency economic and public health relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, including stimulus payments, expanded unemployment benefits, business loans, and hospital funding.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
While past crises had prompted relief packages (e.g., TARP during the 2008 financial crisis), no law of this scale had ever been passed in response to a public health emergency.

Acts

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)

Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA, 2020)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 116–127)

2) Why It Was Done
The FFCRA was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to provide emergency paid sick leave, expanded family and medical leave, and free COVID-19 testing, while also funding nutrition assistance and unemployment programs.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, 1993) provided unpaid job-protected leave, but did not cover pandemics or paid leave. FFCRA temporarily filled these gaps.

Acts

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA, 2021)

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (Public Law 117–2)

2) Why It Was Done
ARPA was enacted to provide continued economic and public health relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding on the CARES Act with more direct payments, extended unemployment aid, and major funding for vaccines, schools, and local governments.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
The CARES Act (2020) and follow-up relief bills laid the groundwork. ARPA extended and expanded those programs to address ongoing pandemic impacts.