China Accelerates Legislative Process for Chemical Safety Law to Enhance Public Safety and Regulation

On November 4, 2024, the Social Construction Committee of the National People's Congress announced the review results of the handling opinions for 41 representative proposals, including the "Chemical Safety Law."

To better regulate the management of hazardous chemicals and ensure the safety of people's lives and property, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has classified the formulation of the "Chemical Safety Law" as a first-class project in its legislative plan and included it in the legislative work plan for 2024. The State Council has submitted the bill for review, marking an important step in the legal construction of hazardous chemical safety management in China.

It is understood that relevant departments of the State Council have conducted two rounds of written consultations on the draft "Chemical Safety Law," involving central units, local governments, research institutions, industry associations, and some enterprises at various levels. The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) has stated that it has formed a draft of the Chemical Safety Law and will continue to fully cooperate with the related work, accelerate communication and coordination with relevant departments, and actively promote the legislative process.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is also actively involved and currently working with the MEM to study and amend the draft for submission. It will seriously consider and absorb the opinions proposed to accelerate the review of the draft. After the study, the Social Committee agrees with the opinions of the relevant parties and will continue to strengthen communication with the drafting departments of the bill to promote the prompt perfection of the legal draft and submit it for review by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

The proposal suggests that the "Chemical Safety Law" will cover the planning and layout of hazardous chemical parks, registration and identification, safety in production and storage, operational safety, transportation safety, usage safety, safe disposal of waste, and emergency rescue, among other aspects. The regulation of these areas will help comprehensively enhance the safety management level of hazardous chemicals in China, effectively preventing and reducing accidents involving hazardous chemicals.

The formulation of the "Chemical Safety Law" not only perfects the regulatory system for hazardous chemical safety management in China but also serves as an important safeguard for the safety of people's lives and property. With the acceleration of the legislative process, we look forward to the early issuance of this law, providing a solid legal foundation for the stable development of our country's economy and society.

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