Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to States, territories, and Indian Tribes to address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on farms, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Agricultural land (A) In general The term agricultural land (B) Inclusions The term agricultural land (2) Commercial farm The term commercial farm (3) Eligible government The term eligible government (A) a State; (B) the District of Columbia; (C) a territory of the United States; and (D) an Indian Tribe. (4) Farm product (A) In general The term farm product (B) Inclusions The term farm product (i) forages; (ii) sod crops; (iii) grains; (iv) food crops; (v) dairy products; (vi) poultry and poultry products; (vii) bees; (viii) livestock and livestock products; (ix) products of aquaculture; (x) fruits; (xi) berries; (xii) vegetables; (xiii) flowers; (xiv) seeds; (xv) grasses; (xvi) Christmas trees; and (xvii) other similar products, as determined by the Secretary. (5) Perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance; PFAS The term perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance PFAS (A) contains at least one of— (i) R–(CF2)–CF(R′)R′′, where both the CF2 and CF moieties are saturated carbons, and none of the R groups can be hydrogen; (ii) R–CF2OCF2–R′, where both the CF2 moieties are saturated carbons, and none of the R groups can be hydrogen; or (iii) CF3C(CF3)RR′, where all the carbons are saturated, and none of the R groups can be hydrogen; or (B) is covered by the most recent working definition of PFAS issued by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. (6) Program The term program (7) Secretary The term Secretary (8) Septage The term septage (9) Sludge The term sludge (A) solid, semisolid, or liquid waste generated from a municipal, commercial, or industrial— (i) wastewater treatment plant; (ii) water supply treatment plant; or (iii) wet process air pollution control facility; and (B) any other waste having similar characteristics and effect. 3. Establishment (a) In general The Secretary shall establish a program under which the Secretary shall provide grants to eligible governments for the purposes described in section 4(a). (b) Eligibility (1) In general To be eligible to receive a grant under the program, the territory of an eligible government shall contain— (A) agricultural land that contains any soil with levels of PFAS that the Secretary, in coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, determines to be unsafe; or (B) water used for the production of farm products with levels of PFAS that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with the Secretary, determines to be unsafe. (2) Consideration In determining the eligibility of an eligible government for a grant under the program, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall consider State standards and limitations relating to soil and water. (c) Applications (1) In general To receive a grant under the program, the department of agriculture or similar agency of an eligible government shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (2) Spend plan An application submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain a plan describing how the eligible government will administer the funding received under the program, including funding priorities and oversight. (d) Set-Aside Each year, the Secretary shall provide not less than 30 percent of the total funding provided under the program to 1 or more eligible governments with a population of less than 3,000,000. 4. Purposes (a) In general An eligible government may use a grant received under the program to provide funding for any of the following purposes: (1) Monitoring (including through blood serum testing) the PFAS-related health complications of a person, and members of the household of that person, if agricultural land the person lives or works on is found to be contaminated by PFAS. (2) Buying, selling, or providing compensation for agricultural land or farm products found, through test results provided to the eligible government, to be contaminated by PFAS, including costs associated with the depopulation or disposal of farm products, premortem or postmortem. (3) Investing in agricultural equipment, facilities, and infrastructure to ensure that agricultural land that, or a commercial farm any agricultural land of which, is found to be contaminated by PFAS maintains profitability while the producers on the agricultural land, in response to the PFAS contamination— (A) transition to an alternative production system; or (B) implement remediation strategies (including disposal), technological adaptations, or other modifications to the operations of the agricultural land or commercial farm. (4) Assisting the producers on agricultural land that, or a commercial farm any agricultural land of which, is found to be contaminated by PFAS in developing an enterprise budget for— (A) alternative production systems; (B) remediation strategies; (C) technological adaptations; (D) transitioning to an alternative revenue stream; or (E) relocating a farming operation to new agricultural land. (5) Providing financial assistance to a person the commercial farm of which is found to be contaminated by PFAS, including income replacement. (6) Evaluating and expanding the capacity of PFAS testing and data management in the territory of the eligible government. (7) Conducting research that— (A) supports short-term farm management decisions with respect to agricultural land that has been contaminated by PFAS; and (B) assesses future options for viable uses of agricultural land and water used for agricultural production that has been contaminated by PFAS. (8) Conducting research that quantifies the impact of PFAS on commercial farms and agricultural communities in the territory of the eligible government. (9) Conducting research on— (A) soil and water remediation systems; (B) the viability of those systems for PFAS-contaminated commercial farms; (C) the composting or disposal of PFAS-contaminated crops or livestock; (D) implementing alternative production systems in response to PFAS contamination; (E) the PFAS uptake of various farm products; and (F) food safety relating to PFAS contamination. (10) Developing and implementing educational programs for owners of agricultural land, including determining best practices for— (A) informing residents about the potential of being near or on a site on which sludge or septage application was licensed or permitted by the eligible government or the Federal Government; and (B) providing information and guidance on buying or selling agricultural land on which sludge or septage was applied. (11) Long-term monitoring of agricultural land contaminated by PFAS and establishing a corresponding centralized data repository. (12) Assisting owners and operators of commercial farms not directly affected by PFAS contamination with marketing efforts whose branding and marketing may be affected by the public perception of PFAS contamination in the territory of the eligible government. (13) Voluntary testing of farm products, agricultural land, or other locations that are suspected to be contaminated with PFAS. (b) Priority (1) In general In using funding received under the program, an eligible government shall prioritize purposes that directly assist producers who are experiencing financial losses due to agricultural PFAS contamination. (2) Department of Agriculture priority In providing grants under the program, the Secretary shall prioritize the provision of grants to eligible governments that will use the grant funds for the purposes described in paragraphs (3) through (5) of subsection (a). 5. Reports Each year of the period of a grant received under the program, the department of agriculture or similar agency of an eligible government shall submit to the Secretary and Congress a report describing— (1) the uses of the grant during the previous year, including— (A) the purposes described in section 4(a) for which the grant was used; (B) the amount of the grant allocated to each purpose described in section 4(a); and (C) the extent to which the funding received under the program, including funding priorities and oversight, was administered in accordance with the plan described in section 3(c)(2); (2) any additional needs identified by agricultural producers in the territory of the eligible government; and (3) any additional information the Secretary determines to be appropriate. 6. Task force The Secretary shall establish a task force composed of officers or employees of the Department of Agriculture— (1) to provide advice to the Secretary relating to whether addressing PFAS contamination should be added as an eligible activity under each program of the Department of Agriculture; (2) to evaluate necessary actions for farms already enrolled in a Department of Agriculture program where PFAS is detected; and (3) to provide technical assistance to eligible governments in addressing PFAS contamination. 7. Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act $500,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.

Summary: Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a grant program to help states and other entities address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, on agricultural land and commercial farms. Specifically, the USDA program must provide an eligible government (e.g., a state, territory, or Indian tribe) a grant for purposes that include providing financial assistance to a person whose commercial farm is affected by PFAS contamination; assisting the producers on agricultural land and commercial farms contaminated by PFAS in developing an enterprise budget for alternative production, remediation strategies, transitioning to an alternative revenue stream, or relocating farming operations; expanding the capacity of PFAS testing and data management; and conducting research on soil and water remediation systems and food safety relating to PFAS contamination. At least 30% of the program's total annual funding is set aside for one or more eligible governments with a population of less than 3 million people. The bill also requires USDA to establish a task force to provide (1) advice regarding whether addressing PFAS contamination should be added as an eligible activity for each USDA program, (2) evaluations of necessary actions for farms already enrolled in a USDA program where PFAS is detected, and (3) technical assistance to eligible governments in addressing PFAS contamination.