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HR 6476

Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

119th Congress Introduced by Teresa Leger Fernandez and 4 co-sponsors

Authorizes USDA grants to PFAS-impacted governments for monitoring, remediation, transition, and support to protect farming land, products, and communities.

Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
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Bill Summary · HR 6476

Overview

Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act (H.R. 6476, 119th Congress) seeks to authorize grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to States, District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Indian Tribes to address PFAS contamination on farms. The bill defines PFAS, expands eligible uses of grant funding, sets eligibility criteria, and establishes reporting, a dedicated task force, and a multi-year funding authorization of $500 million (FY 2026–2029).

Main purpose and intent

  • Provide financial assistance to jurisdictions with PFAS-contaminated agricultural land or water used for farm production.
  • Support monitoring, remediation, transition, and marketing efforts related to PFAS contamination.
  • Enable long-term data collection, research, education, and community outreach to mitigate PFAS impacts on farming communities and land values.

Key provisions and changes

  • Definitions (Section 2):
    • Agricultural land: includes land and related water/inputs used or usable for producing farm products.
    • Eligible government: States, DC, U.S. territories, and Indian Tribes.
    • Farm product: broad list of agricultural outputs (crops, livestock, dairy, seafood, bees, etc.).
    • PFAS: adopts specified chemical definitions and references EPA’s current PFAS definition.
    • Program and Secretary: establishes a USDA program and designates the Secretary of Agriculture as the lead.
  • Establishment and eligibility (Section 3):
    • USDA must create a grant program for eligible governments.
    • Eligibility hinges on PFAS levels deemed unsafe by the EPA in soil or water used for farming, in coordination with EPA.
    • Applications must include a plan for administration, funding priorities, and oversight.
    • A mandatory set-aside: at least 30% of annual funding must go to entities with populations under 3 million.
  • Authorized uses of grants (Section 4):
    • Monitoring PFAS-related health impacts (including blood testing) for individuals on contaminated land.
    • Financially addressing contaminated land or farm products (buying/compensation, depopulation/disposal costs).
    • Supporting transition or remediation: equipment, infrastructure, and strategies to maintain profitability or shift production.
    • Development of budgets for alternative enterprises or remediation activities.
    • Financial assistance to affected producers, income replacement.
    • Expanding PFAS testing/data management, and conducting related research (short-term farm management, long-term viability, soil/water remediation, disposal, and food safety).
    • Education programs for landowners, including awareness about sludge/septage history and land transactions.
    • Long-term monitoring and centralized data repository.
    • Marketing support for partially affected non-contaminated operations.
    • Voluntary testing of products/land suspected of PFAS contamination.
  • Priorities (Section 4(b)):
    • Emphasize direct assistance to producers economically harmed by PFAS.
    • Secretary should prioritize grants for purposes in sections 4(a)(3)–(4) (transition, remediation, and related supports).
  • Reporting (Section 5):
    • Annual reports detailing grant uses, allocations by purpose, plan adherence, evolving producer needs, and additional information as the Secretary requests.
  • Administrative structure (Section 6):
    • A USDA task force to advise on adding PFAS activities to programs, address enrolled farms with PFAS, and provide technical assistance.
  • Funding (Section 7):
    • Authorization of $500 million for FY 2026–FY 2029.

Who would be affected

  • Eligible governments (States, DC, territories, Indian Tribes) managing PFAS-impacted agricultural lands or water used for farming.
  • Farm operators and landowners on contaminated lands or involved in PFAS-related product disposal, transition, or remediation.
  • Communities dependent on affected farms, including those undergoing land transactions or reforestation of production.
  • Federal and state agencies collaborating with EPA to determine PFAS safety levels and program administration.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduces a new grant program to be administered by USDA.
  • Eligibility hinges on EPA-aligned PFAS determinations.
  • Annual appropriation window spans 2026–2029 (four years) with total ceiling of $500 million.
  • Requires annual reporting to Congress and the Secretary, plus a standing task force for ongoing guidance.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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