The "Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026" seeks to comprehensively address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by phasing out their nonessential uses and prohibiting their release into the environment. The bill establishes a national policy to remediate PFAS contamination, prioritize destruction and disposal methods that minimize risk, eliminate PFAS from consumer products, and replace essential uses with safer alternatives when available. A key provision involves an agreement with the National Academies to review scientific evidence, define essential uses of PFAS, and guide the prioritization of nonessential uses for phaseout. This review will assess how PFAS are integrated into the U.S. economy, identify research gaps, and recommend activities to transition away from these substances, ensuring public input through community engagement. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mandated to establish annual reporting requirements for all PFAS manufacturers and users within three years. These reports must detail essential and nonessential uses, volumes, chemical identities, environmental releases, safer alternatives, and health effects, with the data made publicly available after quality assurance reviews. A general phaseout timeline requires manufacturers and users to eliminate all nonessential PFAS uses within 10 years of the bill's enactment, necessitating the submission of detailed phaseout plans to the EPA. The bill also specifies accelerated phaseouts for certain products, prohibiting the sale or distribution of new items containing PFAS within 1 to 5 years, including carpets, food packaging, cosmetics, and various textiles. After the 10-year general phaseout, all PFAS uses will be considered nonessential unless specifically designated as essential by the EPA, either through a petition process or agency rulemaking. Federal agencies are also directed to eliminate the procurement of products known to contain PFAS to the maximum extent practicable, based on the best available science. Furthermore, the bill prohibits any manufacturer or user from releasing PFAS into the environment above the threshold of detection 10 years after enactment, with the EPA required to establish a phaseout schedule and detection methods. Remaining PFAS stocks may be transferred to accredited research consortia, including Centers of Excellence, for research into destruction, detection, and remediation, provided such use contributes to the bill's policy goals. The EPA is granted broad enforcement authority, including issuing compliance orders, assessing civil penalties that remove economic benefits from violations, and pursuing criminal penalties for reckless violations. Federal agencies are made subject to all Federal, State, and local PFAS regulations, including penalties, with a waiver of sovereign immunity, though the President may grant national security exemptions under strict conditions. Citizens are empowered to bring civil actions against violators of the act or against the Administrator for failing to perform nondiscretionary duties, with provisions for notice and intervention. The Administrator also has authority to address imminent hazards posed by PFAS, requiring immediate public notice and community engagement from responsible manufacturers or users. Funding for the act includes authorized appropriations and a fee collection system for annual reports and essential use petitions, with reduced fees for small manufacturers and waivers for government and nonprofit entities. These fees will support dedicated PFAS Report Assessment and PFAS Petition Assessment Funds. States retain the authority to impose more stringent PFAS regulations than those established by this act. Finally, the bill establishes Centers of Excellence for assessing PFAS in water sources and developing remediation solutions, fostering research and technology development. It also amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to extend statutes of limitations and repose for damages caused by hazardous substances, including PFAS, and modifies bankruptcy provisions for entities with persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemical claims.