I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5015 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take 
certain actions related to pesticides that may affect pollinators, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2018 
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. NOR-
TON, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. 
CONNOLLY, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. POLIS, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. NADLER, Ms. 
SLAUGHTER, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. LEE, Mr. 
ELLISON, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. NOLAN, Mr. LAR-
SEN of Washington, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, 
Mr. COHEN, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New 
Mexico, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, and Ms. KAPTUR) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency to take certain actions related to pesticides that 
may affect pollinators, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Saving America’s Polli-
nators Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Pollination services are a vital part of agri-
cultural 
production, 
valued 
at 
over 
$125,000,000,000 globally. According to a 2014 
Presidential memorandum, pollinators provide for an 
annual amount of $24,000,000,000 to the economy 
of the United States and honeybees account for 
$15,000,000,000 of such amount. Similarly, polli-
nation services of native pollinators, such as bumble-
bees, squash bees, and mason bees, contribute over 
$3,000,000,000 to the United States agricultural 
economy and are estimated to contribute between 
$937,000,000 and $2,400,000,000 to the economy 
of California alone. 
(2) One-third of food produced in North Amer-
ica—including nearly 100 varieties of fruits and 
vegetables such as almonds, avocados, cranberries, 
and apples—depends on pollination by bees. 
(3) Over the past several years, documented in-
cidents of colony collapse disorder and other forms 
of excess bee mortality have been at a record high, 
with some beekeepers repeatedly losing 100 percent 
of their operations. The national honey crop re-
ported in 2013 was the lowest in many decades. 
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(4) A recent national survey sponsored by the 
Federal Government indicates that United States 
beekeepers experienced a 45.2 percent annual mor-
tality rate with their hives during the period begin-
ning in April 2012 and ending in March 2013. Dur-
ing the winter of 2013–2014, two-thirds of bee-
keepers experienced loss rates greater than the es-
tablished acceptable winter mortality rate. 
(5) According to scientists at the Department 
of Agriculture, current losses of honeybee colonies 
are too high to confidently ensure the United States 
will be able to meet the pollination demands for agri-
cultural crops. 
(6) Native pollinators, such as bumblebees, have 
also suffered alarming population declines. There are 
currently more than 40 pollinator species federally 
listed as threatened or endangered, and most re-
cently, the iconic monarch butterfly has declined by 
90 percent. 
(7) Scientists have linked the use of a certain 
class of systemic insecticides, known as neonicoti-
noids, to the rapid decline of pollinators and to the 
deterioration of pollinator health. 
(8) Neonicotinoids cause sublethal effects, in-
cluding impaired foraging and feeding behavior, dis-
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