US Senate passes pesticide registration act, moves on for President's signing

U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., along with Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, announced final Senate passage by voice vote of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). 

 

"The Senate has once again acted to provide certainty to farmers, consumers, farmworkers, and other stakeholders," the Senators said. "We urge the President to swiftly sign this legislation into law." 

 

Today's Senate passage sends the legislation to the President's desk for signing into law. The House passed this version of the legislation on February 25. 

 

Agriculture groups urged swift House passage of PRIA. In December 2018, a variety of agriculture interests urged Congress to pass PRIA. 

 

PRIA established a framework for EPA when registering pesticides. The original intent has been to create a more predictable and effective evaluation process for affected pesticide decisions by coupling the collection of fees with specific decision review periods. 

 

This legislation includes technical changes and extends authority for EPA to collect updated pesticide registration and maintenance fees through FY 2023.