Freedom for Farmers Act of 2023

Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental health, Executive agency funding and structure, Hazardous wastes and toxic substances, Health

Summary:  <p><b>Freedom for Farmers Act of </b><b>2023</b></p> <p>This bill abolishes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This agency, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), investigates and responds to environmental exposures to hazardous substances in communities. HHS must transfer authority regarding certain national disease and toxic exposure registries to another appropriate HHS entity.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 70 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 H. R. 70

 To abolish the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2023

  Mr. Biggs introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To abolish the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom for Farmers Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. ABOLISHMENT OF AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE 
              REGISTRY.

    (a) Abolishment of Agency.--The Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry (in this section referred to as the ``Agency'') is 
abolished effective on the date that is 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    (b) Termination of Functions.--Except as provided in subsection 
(c)(1), all functions of the Agency shall terminate on the date 
specified in subsection (a).
    (c) Transferred Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Prior to the date specified in subsection 
        (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this 
        section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall transfer the 
        authority vested in the Agency by section 104(i)(1)(A) of the 
        Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
        Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(1)(A)) as in effect on 
        the day before the date of enactment of this Act (relating to a 
        national registry of serious diseases and illnesses and a 
        national registry of persons exposed to toxic substances) to an 
        appropriate agency within the Department of Health and Human 
        Services.
            (2) Corresponding transfer of assets and personnel.--In 
        connection with the transfer of authority under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary may transfer within the Department of Health and 
        Human Services such assets, funds, personnel, records, and 
        other property relating to the transferred authority as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate.
    (d) Wind-Up Period.--
            (1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``wind-up 
        period'' means the period beginning on the date of the 
        enactment of this Act and ending on the date specified in 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall be responsible 
        for--
                    (A) the administration and wind-up, during the 
                wind-up period, of all functions of the Agency that are 
                terminated by this section;
                    (B) the administration and wind-up, during the 
                wind-up period, of any outstanding obligations of the 
                Federal Government under any programs of the Agency 
                that are terminated by this section; and
                    (C) taking such other actions as may be necessary 
                to wind-up any outstanding affairs of the Agency before 
                the end of the wind-up period.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    (a) CERCLA.--The Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) is 
amended--
            (1) in section 104 (42 U.S.C. 9604), by amending subsection 
        (i) to read as follows:
    ``(i) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, in 
cooperation with the States, maintain a national registry of serious 
diseases and illnesses and a national registry of persons exposed to 
toxic substances.'';
            (2) in section 111 (42 U.S.C. 9611)--
                    (A) by striking subsection (c)(4); and
                    (B) by striking subsection (m); and
            (3) in section 310(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 9659(a)(2)), by 
        striking ``and the Administrator of the ATSDR''.
    (b) Other Conforming Changes.--
            (1) Section 2704 of title 10, United States Code, is 
        amended by striking subsection (f).
            (2) Section 405(d)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act 
        (15 U.S.C. 2601(d)(1)) is amended by striking ``acting through 
        the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 
        Registry,''.
            (3) Section 209(c)(1)(A) of the Fire Administration 
        Authorization Act of 1992 (29 U.S.C. 671a(c)(1)(A)) is amended 
        by striking ``the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic 
        Substances and Disease Registry,''.
            (4) Section 118(e)(3)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution 
        Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(e)(3)(A)) is amended by striking 
        ``, in consultation with the Research Office, the Agency for 
        Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Great Lakes States'' 
        and inserting ``, in consultation with the Research Office and 
        Great Lakes States,''.
            (5) Section 317F(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
        U.S.C. 247b-7(a)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and the Agency 
                for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or the Agency 
                for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
            (6) Section 399S of the Public Health Service Act (42 
        U.S.C. 280g-7) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and'' at the end of 
                        subclause (II);
                            (ii) by striking subclause (III); and
                            (iii) by redesignating subclause (IV) as 
                        subclause (III); and
                    (B) in subsection (d)(1)(A)--
                            (i) by striking clause (iv); and
                            (ii) by redesignating clauses (v) through 
                        (vii) as clauses (iv) through (vi), 
                        respectively.
            (7) Section 399V-6(e)(5) of the Public Health Service Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 280g-17(e)(5)) is amended by striking ``and the 
        Assessments of Chemical Exposures Program of the Agency for 
        Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
            (8) Section 3(c) of the ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 
        (42 U.S.C. 285l-3(c)) is amended--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (16) as 
                paragraphs (1) through (15), respectively.
            (9) Section 2201(e) of the Water Infrastructure 
        Improvements for the Nation Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12 note) is 
        amended by striking ``the Director of the Agency for Toxic 
        Substances and Disease Registry of'' each place it appears.
            (10) Section 2203 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements 
        for the Nation Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-27) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (b), by striking ``within the 
                Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or the 
                Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the 
                discretion of the Secretary'' and inserting ``within 
                the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention''; and
                    (B) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``, within 
                the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
            (11) Section 709(a)(7) of the Security and Accountability 
        for Every Port Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 300hh-14(a)(7)) is 
        amended by striking ``the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
        Disease Registry,''.
            (12) Section 3001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 
        U.S.C. 6921(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``the Agency for 
        Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and''.
            (13) Section 3019 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42 
        U.S.C. 6939a) is amended--
                    (A) by striking subsections (b) through (g); and
                    (B) in subsection (a), by striking the subsection 
                designation and heading.
            (14) Section 103(d)(2)(A) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 
        7403(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``the Agency for Toxic 
        Substances and Disease Registry,''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section apply 
beginning on the date specified in section 2(a).
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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