To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for improved coordination between the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5564
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-04T08:08:53Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This bill, H.R. 5564, aims to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to enhance coordination between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The goal is to ensure pesticide regulations better account for agricultural needs, economic impacts, and available data, while maintaining environmental protections.
Key Provisions
The bill adds a new subsection (i) to Section 3 of FIFRA, titled "Coordination," with four main requirements:
- Risk Mitigation Measures: For any pesticide registered under FIFRA, the EPA Administrator must:
- Develop required risk mitigation measures (steps to reduce potential harm from pesticide use) in coordination with the USDA Secretary.
- Conduct and publish an economic analysis in the public docket, covering:
- Costs to growers, state lead agencies, and other affected parties (e.g., changes in use requirements or labeling).
- Overall costs and benefits of the pesticide, including how risk reductions for users can be achieved through these measures.
- Data and Information Sharing: During pesticide registration, review, or decisions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) that affect pesticide sale, distribution, or use:
- The EPA must coordinate with the USDA's Director of the Office of Pest Management Policy to obtain and consider agronomic use data (information on how pesticides are used in farming) from USDA and industry sources, plus details on alternative pesticides' availability and economic feasibility.
- For any resulting decisions, the EPA must publish in the docket:
- A description of how USDA-provided data was used.
- The EPA's determination on using the data, including reasons if it was not used.
- Reasonable and Prudent Actions Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): For implementing protective measures identified through ESA consultations (processes to avoid harming endangered species) related to FIFRA-registered pesticides:
- The EPA must coordinate with the USDA Secretary, Secretary of the Interior, and Secretary of Commerce to:
- Review the development of these measures.
- Evaluate options in line with FIFRA's existing risk-benefit analysis for pesticides (balancing health/environmental risks against benefits, including user risk reductions).
- Provide feedback to Interior and Commerce on decisions that could impact pesticide end users (e.g., farmers).
- Waiver Option: The coordination requirements can be waived or modified for a specific action if agreed upon by the EPA Administrator, USDA Secretary, and the pesticide registrant (the company holding the registration), provided the agreement is published in the relevant public docket.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- New Coordination Mandates: FIFRA previously lacked explicit requirements for EPA-USDA collaboration on risk mitigation, data sharing, and ESA-related measures. This bill introduces mandatory joint development and analysis processes.
- Economic and Data Transparency: Adds obligations for EPA to perform and disclose economic analyses and data usage, which were not previously required in this detail.
- Expanded Inter-Agency Involvement: Incorporates USDA more directly into ESA consultations for pesticides, aligning FIFRA processes with broader environmental laws like the ESA and FFDCA, without altering those laws themselves.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Could streamline decision-making for EPA, USDA, Interior, and Commerce by fostering better information sharing, potentially reducing delays in pesticide approvals or reviews. However, it may increase administrative workload for economic analyses and publications.
- Citizens and Farmers: Growers and end users may benefit from regulations that more fully consider agricultural data and costs, leading to less disruptive changes (e.g., fewer sudden labeling requirements). This could support food production and rural economies but might slow environmental protections if coordination prioritizes economic factors.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though improved U.S. pesticide policies could influence trade in agricultural products by ensuring regulations are evidence-based and less likely to face challenges from trading partners.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: EPA (primary regulator of pesticides), USDA (focus on agriculture), Department of the Interior and Commerce (ESA enforcement).
- Industry and Agriculture: Pesticide registrants (companies), growers/farmers, and state lead agencies (e.g., those overseeing pesticide use).
- Other Groups: Environmental organizations (via ESA ties), consumers (through safer or more available pesticides), and researchers providing data.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens FIFRA's framework by embedding collaborative processes, potentially reducing litigation over pesticide decisions by improving transparency (e.g., public dockets). It aligns with existing laws like the ESA and FFDCA without overriding them, but the waiver provision allows flexibility that could be challenged if seen as undermining statutory duties.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; promotes executive branch coordination consistent with separation of powers, as it involves agency implementation rather than congressional overreach.
- Political: Highlights tensions between environmental regulation and agricultural interests, likely appealing to farming communities and industry while drawing scrutiny from conservation advocates. As an amendment to a 1970s-era law, it modernizes pesticide oversight amid ongoing debates on chemical use in farming.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Arrington, Jodey C. [R-TX-19]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Research, and Biotechnology.
- 2025-09-26: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
- 2025-09-26: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for improved coordination between the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes. — issued 2025-09-26 — PDF (5 pages)