Governing Technology: “Nanotechnology Risk Management and Public Health Protection Act” A Harmonized Approach to Promoting Innovation While Protecting Global Health

Nanotechnology is globally in food, clothing, aviation, transport, housing construction, weaponry, medical devices, new medicines and outer space exploration. Since risks associated with the new technology emerge slowly there is time to create a rational global oversight mechanism that promotes innovation and protects public health, Because no commercial product is made entirely in the same place from start to finish without any components from other nations, nor is it marketed only in the place where it was made, innovators, must catalogue a multitude of laws and drill down into key subjects across jurisdictions1 in order to comply with law2 and thus soon find their compliance efforts in a swamp of legal documents, regulations and guidance without a compass to figure out which regulatory path works best or is appropriate. This plethora of laws, regardless how well intended, creates disinformation and blocking both public education and the free flow of commerce. This article proposes an international nano-risk governance framework with a bioethics commission, empowered to examine questions about nanotechnology and its commercial applications and to disseminate information to the general public. The “Nanotechnology Risk Management and Public Health Protection Act” fills a void in the nanoregulatory landscape, where information is plentiful but trustworthy sources are rare.