[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR10.30]

[Page 92-95]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                                SERVICES
 
PART 10--ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
              Subpart B--General Administrative Procedures
 
Sec. 10.30  Citizen petition.

    (a) This section applies to any petition submitted by a person 
(including a person who is not a citizen of the United States) except to 
the extent that other sections of this chapter apply different 
requirements to a particular matter.
    (b) A petition (including any attachments) must be submitted in 
accordance with Sec. 10.20 and in the following form:

(Date)__________________________________________________________________

    Dockets Management Branch, Food and Drug Administration, Department 
of Health and Human Services, rm. 1-23, 12420 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, 
MD 20857.

                            Citizen Petition

    The undersigned submits this petition under ------ (relevant 
statutory sections, if known) of the ------ (Federal Food, Drug, and 
Cosmetic Act or the Public Health Service Act or any other statutory 
provision for which authority has been delegated to the

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Commissioner of Food and Drugs under 21 CFR 5.10) to request the 
Commissioner of Food and Drugs to ------ (issue, amend, or revoke a 
regulation or order or take or refrain from taking any other form of 
administrative action).

                           A. Action requested

    ((1) If the petition requests the Commissioner to issue, amend, or 
revoke a regulation, the exact wording of the existing regulation (if 
any) and the proposed regulation or amendment requested.)
    ((2) If the petition requests the Commissioner to issue, amend, or 
revoke an order, a copy of the exact wording of the citation to the 
existing order (if any) and the exact wording requested for the proposed 
order.)
    ((3) If the petition requests the Commissioner to take or refrain 
from taking any other form of administrative action, the specific action 
or relief requested.)

                         B. Statement of grounds

    (A full statement, in a well organized format, of the factual and 
legal grounds on which the petitioner relies, including all relevant 
information and views on which the petitioner relies, as well as 
representative information known to the petitioner which is unfavorable 
to the petitioner's position.)

                         C. Environmental impact

    (A) Claim for categorical exclusion under Secs. 25.30, 25.31, 25.32, 
25.33, or Sec. 25.34 of this chapter or an environmental assessment 
under Sec. 25.40 of this chapter.)

                           D. Economic impact

    (The following information is to be submitted only when requested by 
the Commissioner following review of the petition: A statement of the 
effect of requested action on: (1) Cost (and price) increases to 
industry, government, and consumers; (2) productivity of wage earners, 
businesses, or government; (3) competition; (4) supplies of important 
materials, products, or services; (5) employment; and (6) energy supply 
or demand.)

                            E. Certification

    The undersigned certifies, that, to the best knowledge and belief of 
the undersigned, this petition includes all information and views on 
which the petition relies, and that it includes representative data and 
information known to the petitioner which are unfavorable to the 
petition.
(Signature)_____________________________________________________________
(Name of petitioner)____________________________________________________
(Mailing address)_______________________________________________________
(Telephone number)______________________________________________________

    (c) A petition which appears to meet the requirements of paragraph 
(b) of this section and Sec. 10.20 will be filed by the Dockets 
Management Branch, stamped with the date of filing, and assigned a 
docket number. The docket number identifies the file established by the 
Dockets Management Branch for all submissions relating to the petition, 
as provided in this part. Subsequent submissions relating to the matter 
must refer to the docket number and will be filed in the docket file. 
Related petitions may be filed together and given the same docket 
number. The Dockets Management Branch will promptly notify the 
petitioner in writing of the filing and docket number of a petition.
    (d) An interested person may submit written comments to the Dockets 
Management Branch on a filed petition, which comments become part of the 
docket file. The comments are to specify the docket number of the 
petition and may support or oppose the petition in whole or in part. A 
request for alternative or different administrative action must be 
submitted as a separate petition.
    (e)(1) The Commissioner shall, in accordance with paragraph (e)(2), 
rule upon each petition filed under paragraph (c) of this section, 
taking into consideration (i) available agency resources for the 
category of subject matter, (ii) the priority assigned to the petition 
considering both the category of subject matter involved and the overall 
work of the agency, and (iii) time requirements established by statute.
    (2) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(4) of this section, the 
Commissioner shall furnish a response to each petitioner within 180 days 
of receipt of the petition. The response will either:
    (i) Approve the petition, in which case the Commissioner shall 
concurrently take appropriate action (e.g., publication of a Federal 
Register notice) implementing the approval;
    (ii) Deny the petition; or
    (iii) Provide a tentative response, indicating why the agency has 
been unable to reach a decision on the petition, e.g., because of the 
existence of other agency priorities, or a need for additional 
information. The tentative response may also indicate the likely 
ultimate agency response, and may

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specify when a final response may be furnished.
    (3) The Commissioner may grant or deny such a petition, in whole or 
in part, and may grant such other relief or take other action as the 
petition warrants. The petitioner is to be notified in writing of the 
Commissioner's decision. The decision will be placed in the public 
docket file in the office of the Dockets Management Branch and may also 
be in the form of a notice published in the Federal Register.
    (4) The Commissioner shall furnish a response to each petitioner 
within 90 days of receipt of a petition filed under section 505(j)(2)(C) 
of the act. The response will either approve or disapprove the petition. 
Agency action on a petition shall be governed by Sec. 314.93 of this 
chapter.
    (f) If a petition filed under paragraph (c) of this section requests 
the Commissioner to issue, amend, or revoke a regulation, Sec. 10.40 or 
Sec. 10.50 also apply.
    (g) A petitioner may supplement, amend, or withdraw a petition in 
writing without agency approval and without prejudice to resubmission at 
anytime until the Commissioner rules on the petition, unless the 
petition has been referred for a hearing under parts 12, 13, 14, or 15. 
After a ruling or referral, a petition may be supplemented, amended, or 
withdrawn only with the approval of the Commissioner. The Commissioner 
may approve withdrawal, with or without prejudice against resubmission 
of the petition.
    (h) In reviewing a petition the Commissioner may use the following 
procedures:
    (1) Conferences, meetings, discussions, and correspondence under 
Sec. 10.65.
    (2) A hearing under parts 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16.
    (3) A Federal Register notice requesting information and views.
    (4) A proposal to issue, amend, or revoke a regulation, in 
accordance with Sec. 10.40 or Sec. 12.20.
    (5) Any other specific public procedure established in this chapter 
and expressly applicable to the matter.
    (i) The record of the administrative proceeding consists of the 
following:
    (1) The petition, including all information on which it relies, 
filed by the Dockets Management Branch.
    (2) All comments received on the petition, including all information 
submitted as a part of the comments.
    (3) If the petition resulted in a proposal to issue, amend, or 
revoke a regulation, all of the documents specified in Sec. 10.40(g).
    (4) The record, consisting of any transcripts, minutes of meetings, 
reports, Federal Register notices, and other documents resulting from 
the optional procedures specified in paragraph (h) of this section, 
except a transcript of a closed portion of a public advisory committee 
meeting.
    (5) The Commissioner's decision on the petition, including all 
information identified or filed by the Commissioner with the Dockets 
Management Branch as part of the record supporting the decision.
    (6) All documents filed with the Dockets Management Branch under 
Sec. 10.65(h).
    (7) If a petition for reconsideration or for a stay of action is 
filed under paragraph (j) of this section, the administrative record 
specified in Sec. 10.33(k) or Sec. 10.35(h).
    (j) The administrative record specified in paragraph (i) of this 
section is the exclusive record for the Commissioner's decision. The 
record of the administrative proceeding closes on the date of the 
Commissioner's decision unless some other date is specified. Thereafter 
any interested person may submit a petition for reconsideration under 
Sec. 10.33 or a petition for stay of action under Sec. 10.35. A person 
who wishes to rely upon information or views not included in the 
administrative record shall submit them to the Commissioner with a new 
petition to modify the decision in accordance with this section.
    (k) This section does not apply to the referral of a matter to a 
United States attorney for the initiation of court enforcement action 
and related correspondence, or to requests, suggestions, and 
recommendations made informally in routine correspondence received by 
FDA. Routine correspondence does not constitute a petition

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within the meaning of this section unless it purports to meet the 
requirements of this section. Action on routine correspondence does not 
constitute final administrative action subject to judicial review under 
Sec. 10.45.
    (l) The Dockets Management Branch will maintain a chronological list 
of each petition filed under this section and Sec. 10.85, but not of 
petitions submitted elsewhere in the agency under Sec. 10.25(a)(1), 
showing:
    (1) The docket number;
    (2) The date the petition was filed by the Dockets Management 
Branch;
    (3) The name of the petitioner;
    (4) The subject matter involved; and
    (5) The disposition of the petition.

[44 FR 22323, Apr. 13, 1979, as amended at 46 FR 8455, Jan. 27, 1981; 50 
16656, Apr. 26, 1985; 54 FR 9034, Mar. 3, 1989; 57 FR 17980, Apr. 28, 
1992; 59 FR 14364, Mar. 28, 1994; 62 FR 40592, July 29, 1997; 66 FR 
6467, Jan. 22, 2001; 66 FR 12848, Mar. 1, 2001]