US health department withdraws new scientific integrity policy, keeps old one

The US Department of Health and Human Services has officially withdrawn a new scientific integrity policy it had proposed. This means the department will continue to operate under its existing, older policy.

The US government has been trying to update its scientific integrity policies across agencies for years. This withdrawal means the HHS will not adopt a new, potentially stronger, policy that aimed to protect government scientists from political interference. It signals a pause in the broader effort to standardize and strengthen these protections.