Bill > HR9634

This bill, the Federal Clarity for Kratom Consumers Act, aims to protect access to kratom, a botanical substance derived from the Mitragyna speciosa plant. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to hold a public hearing within 30-90 days to discuss the current scientific data and information on the safety and use of kratom and kratom-derived products. 2. Establishing a Kratom Research Task Force to coordinate federally funded kratom-related research and provide regular reports to Congress and the public. 3. Prohibiting the Secretary from imposing more restrictive requirements on kratom or kratom-derived products than those that apply to food, dietary supplements, and dietary ingredients under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 4. Requiring any future rulemaking by the Secretary to regulate kratom to comply with formal rulemaking requirements, including public, in-person hearings. 5. Limiting the Secretary's ability to issue import alerts for kratom or kratom-derived products unless there is evidence of adulteration. The bill aims to provide clarity and transparency around the regulation and research of kratom, a substance that has been the subject of ongoing debate and varying levels of regulation.