Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

What it does

If Congress passes it, this bill would provide vital assistance to farmers affected by PFAS, a manmade “forever” chemical that pollutes farmers’ land and water, ends up in the food we eat and has serious health consequences. Specifically, the funds authorized by this bill could be used for a variety of purposes at the state level, including:

• Providing financial assistance to affected farmers;
• Building capacity for PFAS testing for soil or water sources;
• Monitoring blood for individuals to make informed decisions about their health;
• Upgrading or purchasing equipment to ensure a farm remains profitable during or after known PFAS contamination;
• Developing alternative production systems or remediation strategies;
• Developing educational programs for farmers experiencing PFAS contamination; and
• Researching soil and water remediation systems, and the viability of those systems for farms

Who supports this bill?

The Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act is a bicameral, bipartisan bill, which means that it has some support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and among both Democrats and Republicans. The bill was introduced by Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and House Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden. In the Senate, this bill is referred to as S.747 and these Senators are already supporting the bill. In the House, this bill is referred to as H.R.1517 and these Representatives are already supporting the bill.

This bill is supported by National Farmers Union, American Farmland Trust, American Farm Bureau Federation, Organic Farmers Association as well as grassroots environmental and health advocacy groups.

Want to support this bill?

If your Senators and House Representative aren’t already on the list of cosponsors for the bill:

• Ask your two Senators to “cosponsor the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, S. 747.”
• Ask your House Representative to “cosponsor the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, H.R. 1517.”

If your elected officials are already supporting the ARA, you can always contact them to thank them and help spread the word among your networks.

Resources

If you’d like to learn more about the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, you can:

• Find instructions for calling or writing your Senators and Representative (tip: enter your address)
• Track the bill’s progress on Congress.gov or GovTrack
• Learn why lawmakers are supporting this bill (Senator Collins’ press release)
• Read the full bill text

See more bills worthy of your support in the 2023 Farm Bill.