Agriculture Committee, Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology Subcommittee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This bill, titled the "Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act," directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program providing grants to eligible governments , including States, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Indian Tribes. These grants are specifically designed to help address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on agricultural land and in water used for farm products. To be eligible, a government's territory must contain agricultural land or water with unsafe levels of PFAS, as determined by the Secretary in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency. The grant funds can be used for a wide range of purposes, including monitoring the health of individuals on contaminated land, compensating farmers for contaminated land or products, and investing in equipment or infrastructure for alternative production systems or remediation. Other uses include providing financial assistance and income replacement to affected farmers, evaluating and expanding PFAS testing capacity, and conducting research on remediation systems, PFAS uptake in farm products, and food safety. The bill also mandates a 30 percent set-aside of funding for eligible governments with populations under 3 million and establishes a task force within the Department of Agriculture to advise on integrating PFAS considerations into existing programs and providing technical assistance. An appropriation of $500,000,000 is authorized for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to carry out the program.
This bill, titled the "Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act," directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program providing grants to eligible governments , including States, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Indian Tribes. These grants are specifically designed to help address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on agricultural land and in water used for farm products. To be eligible, a government's territory must contain agricultural land or water with unsafe levels of PFAS, as determined by the Secretary in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency. The grant funds can be used for a wide range of purposes, including monitoring the health of individuals on contaminated land, compensating farmers for contaminated land or products, and investing in equipment or infrastructure for alternative production systems or remediation. Other uses include providing financial assistance and income replacement to affected farmers, evaluating and expanding PFAS testing capacity, and conducting research on remediation systems, PFAS uptake in farm products, and food safety. The bill also mandates a 30 percent set-aside of funding for eligible governments with populations under 3 million and establishes a task force within the Department of Agriculture to advise on integrating PFAS considerations into existing programs and providing technical assistance. An appropriation of $500,000,000 is authorized for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to carry out the program.