CDC’s role in rules and regulations
As the nation’s public health protection agency, CDC has certain authorities to implement regulations related to protecting America from health and safety threats, both foreign and within the United States, and increasing public health security.
CDC and other agencies implement public health laws passed by Congress through Federal Regulations. After a Congressional bill becomes law, federal agencies may be responsible for putting the law into action through the development of regulations—also known as “rules.” Federal regulations give the public details or specific requirements of how the law will be applied. The process of creating regulations or rules is called rulemaking.
What are CDC’s regulatory authorities?
Click on each public health program in the boxes below for information on CDC’s regulatory authorities. You can also find the official text of CDC regulations published in the Code of Federal Regulations under Title 42—Public HealthExternal.
How can you participate in CDC’s rulemaking process?
Federal rulemaking usually involves a notice-and-comment process in which regulations are published in the Federal RegisterExternal for public comment over a specified time. By commenting on proposed rules to improve them, the public plays an important role in the rulemaking process. You can provide your comments by going to the federal government’s regulations websiteExternal to view CDC’s rules that are open for public commentExternal.
For a list of regulations CDC is currently working on, please see the Unified AgendaExternal of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Unified Agenda, published in the spring and fall of each year, provides information about regulations that the federal government is considering or reviewing within the next 12 months.
- Medical examination of coal miners
- Radiation Dose Reconstruction Program [The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA)]
- Respiratory protective devices
- Health hazard evaluations
- Investigations of places of employment
- Grants for training programs
- Grants for research
- World Trade Center Health Program