I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4277 
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 
JUNE 22, 2023 
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Mr. MCGOVERN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition 
to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
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 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(1) Pollination services are a vital part of agri-
cultural 
production, 
valued 
at 
over 
$125,000,000,000 globally. According to a 2014 
Presidential memorandum, pollinators provide for an 
annual amount of $24,000,000,000 to the economy 
of the United States and honey bees account for 
$15,000,000,000 of such amount. Similarly, polli-
nation services of native pollinators, such as bumble-
bees, squash bees, and mason bees, contribute over 
$3,000,000,000 to the United States agricultural 
economy and are estimated to contribute between 
$937,000,000 and $2,400,000,000 to the economy 
of California alone. 
(2) One-third of food produced in North Amer-
ica, including nearly 100 varieties of fruits and vege-
tables such as almonds, avocados, cranberries, and 
apples, depends on pollination by bees. 
(3) Documented incidents of colony collapse dis-
order and other forms of excess bee mortality have 
been at a record high, with some beekeepers repeat-
edly losing 100 percent of their operations. National 
surveys report an 11-year average loss of 39 percent 
of honey bee colonies, with the 2020–2021 season 
representing the highest hive loss on record at over 
50 percent. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(4) The national honey crop is down over 29 
percent since 2014, and 2021 was the first time in 
35 years that honey yield rates dipped below 50 
pounds per hive. 
(5) According to scientists at the United States 
Department of Agriculture, current losses of honey 
bee colonies are too high to confidently ensure the 
United States will be able to meet the pollination de-
mands for agricultural crops. 
(6) More than one-quarter of North American 
bumble bees are facing risk of extinction, while 
iconic species like the monarch butterfly and the 
American bumblebee have declined by 85 percent 
and 90 percent respectively. More than 70 pollinator 
species are listed as threatened or endangered, with 
the rusty patched bumble bee, powesheik skipperling, 
and Dakota skipper listed within this past decade 
due, in part, to threats from pesticides. 
(7) Scientists have linked the use of a certain 
class of systemic insecticides, known as neonico- 
tinoids, to the rapid decline of pollinators and to the 
deterioration of pollinator health. 
(8) Neonicotinoid pesticides cause sublethal ef-
fects, including impaired foraging and feeding be-
havior, disorientation, weakened immunity, delayed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
larval development, and increased susceptibility to 
viruses, diseases, and parasites. Numerous reports 
also document acute, lethal effects from the applica-
tion of neonicotinoid pesticides. 
(9) The overwhelming body of scientific evi-
dence concludes that systemic pesticides, primarily 
neonicotinoid pesticides, are causing significant dam-
age to a wide range of beneficial invertebrate spe-
cies, are a key factor in the decline of bees, lead to 
high levels of freshwater contamination, and pose a 
global threat to ecosystem services. 
(10) Both Canada and the European Union 
have recently moved to ban outdoor uses of the 
neonicotinoid pesticides imidacloprid, clothianidin, 
and thiamethoxam and restrict its use as a seed- 
coating, citing extreme risks to bees, other insects, 
the health of waterways, and the overall ecosystem. 
(11) Seeds coated with neonicotinoid pesticides 
are used on nearly 150 million acres across the 
country, where they cause both acute and chronic 
bee kills, contribute to pollinator decline, pollute soil 
and water, and harm wildlife, including threatened 
and endangered invertebrate and bird species. This 
seed coating is prophylactic, meaning it is used even 
where it is not even targeting a specific pest prob-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
lem. The vast majority of some commodity crops, 
such as corn, are grown using neonicotinoid pes-
ticide-coated seeds. 
(12) Studies have shown that ingestion of a sin-
gle corn kernel coated with neonicotinoid pesticides 
using is toxic enough to kill a songbird, while assess-
ments by the Environmental Protection Agency have 
found that neonicotinoid pesticide seed coatings pro-
vide little benefit to overall soybean crop yield, with 
other agency studies determining that seed coatings 
in approximately 80 to 90 percent of row crop are 
unnecessary. 
(13) In addition to concerns raised by sci-
entists, Federal agencies and conservationists, State 
pesticide regulators have urged the Environmental 
Protection Agency to address the ubiquitous and un-
regulated use of neonicotinoid pesticide seed coatings 
and their harmful impacts. The Association of 
American Pesticide Control Organization’s State 
FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group has 
raised concern about the adverse impacts of 
neonicotinoid pesticide-treated seeds, and has pushed 
the Environmental Protection Agency for additional 
measures to protect people and the environment 
from unregulated use of treated seeds. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:06 Aug 01, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(14) In late 2022, the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency denied a legal petition to close a loop-
hole that exempts neonicotinoid pesticide seed coat-
ings from the pesticide registration and labeling re-
quirements of the Environmental Protection Agency 
that are meant to protect people and the environ-
ment from harm. 
(15) In late 2022, the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the Ninth Circuit held that the decision of the 
Environmental Protection Agency to allow new uses 
of the most recently approved neonicotinoid insecti-
cide, sulfoxaflor, was in violation of the Endangered 
Species Act. The EPA’s own assessments of 
sulfoxaflor had found significant harm to pollinators 
from sulfoxaflor. 
(16) In 2022, the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service established the Center, with a key task 
of identifying and coordinating actions across the 
agency and with other partners to reverse pollinator 
declines. 
(17) Insect biodiversity is essential to the prop-
er functioning of ecosystems, and worldwide declines 
driven by the expansion of industrial agriculture and 
systemic use of pesticides use are disrupting polli-
nation, natural pest control, food resources, nutrient 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
recycling, and decomposition services provided by in-
sects. 
(18) Since insects constitute the world’s most 
abundant and speciose animal group and provide 
critical ecosystem services, such event cannot be ig-
nored and should prompt decisive action to avert a 
catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems. 
(19) Neonicotinoid insecticides play an outsized 
role in driving pollinator declines in the United 
States and urgent action on neonicotinoid insecti-
cides has been recommended by scientists as a meas-
ure that would provide immediate benefit to restore 
beleaguered pollinator populations. 
SEC. 3. URGENT REGULATORY RESPONSE FOR HONEY BEE 
AND POLLINATOR PROTECTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) CANCELLATION.—Effective on the date of 
enactment of this subsection— 
(A) 
neonicotinoid 
pesticides 
shall 
be 
deemed to generally cause unreasonable adverse 
effects to the environment; and 
(B) notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, including section 6(b) of the Federal Insec-
ticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 
U.S.C. 136(d)), the registration of all uses of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
neonicotinoid pesticides shall be immediately 
and permanently canceled by operation of law 
and without further proceedings. 
(2) REVOCATION OF TOLERANCES AND EXEMP-
TIONS.—Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this subsection, the Administrator 
shall, in accordance with section 408(b)(1)(B) of the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
346a(b)(1)(B)), revoke any tolerance or exemption 
that allows the presence of a neonicotinoid pesticide, 
or any pesticide chemical residue that results from 
neonicotinoid pesticide use, in or on food. 
(b) SALE OF EXISTING STOCKS PROHIBITED.—Ef-
fective on the date of enactment of this subsection, the 
continued sale or use of existing stocks of neonicotinoid 
pesticides shall be prohibited. 
(c) NO FUTURE NEONICOTINOID PESTICIDE REG-
ISTRATIONS.—Effective on the date of enactment of this 
subsection, the Administrator may not register any 
neonicotinoid pesticide under section 4 of the Federal In-
secticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a– 
1). 
(d) TREATED SEEDS NO LONGER EXEMPT.—Effec-
tive on the date of enactment of this subsection, the Ad-
ministrator shall no longer consider seeds for planting 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
coated with systemic pesticides intended to kill pests of 
the plant instead of pests of the seed itself as a treated 
article as defined in section 152.25(a) of title 40, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations). 
(e) EXEMPTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An exemption under section 
18 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136p) may only be made 
with respect to the use by a Federal or State agency 
of a neonicotinoid pesticide— 
(A) to— 
(i) quarantine invasive species as de-
scribed in section 166.2(b) of title 40, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or successor 
regulations); or 
(ii) protect public health as described 
in section 166.2(c) of title 40, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or successor regula-
tions); 
(B) if the relevant agency engages in for-
mal consultation with the Secretary of the Inte-
rior under section 7(a) of the Endangered Spe-
cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)); and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(C) if the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Director of the Center, approves 
the exemption. 
(2) LIMITATIONS.—If the Administrator, in 
consultation with the expert wildlife agencies and 
Center make a determination under paragraph (1) 
with respect to an exemption under section 18 of the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 
(7 U.S.C. 136p), the exemption shall be for no more 
than 6 months at a time. New consultation shall be 
required for additional approvals. 
SEC. 4. INCREASED COORDINATION WITH CENTER FOR 
POLLINATOR CONSERVATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Center shall develop and co-
ordinate the policies and activities of the United States 
Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve pollinators and re-
verse declines in pollinator populations, taking into ac-
count the widespread use of neonicotinoid pesticides, other 
systemic insecticides, and other pesticides, including by 
carrying out the following activities: 
(1) Take measures to reverse declines in polli-
nator populations, including by identifying and ad-
dressing threats faced by pollinators, including the 
immediate threats presented by neonicotinoid pes-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
ticides, other systemic insecticides, and other pes-
ticides. 
(2) Educate the public regarding the impor-
tance of pollinators. 
(3) Coordinate with the National Resource Con-
servation Service of the Department of Agriculture 
to prioritize the health of pollinators in habitat con-
servation efforts carried out by participants in pro-
grams carried out by the National Resource Con-
servation Service. 
(4) Coordinate interagency activities with the 
Environmental Protection Agency, the National Ma-
rine Fisheries Service, the Department of Agri-
culture, and other Federal and State agencies, as 
necessary, in carrying out the activities under this 
subsection. 
(5) Consult with scientists, conservation groups, 
beekeepers, organic farmers, and other parties that 
have a substantial interest in the protection and con-
servation of pollinators, as necessary, in carrying out 
the activities under this subsection. 
(6) Carry out such other activities as the Sec-
retary of the Interior determines appropriate. 
(b) CONSULTATION.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(1) IN GENERAL.—The head of each Federal 
agency shall consult with the Director of the Center 
to ensure that the conservation and protection of 
pollinators are taken into account in the fulfillment 
of the responsibilities of each such Federal agency 
as they relate to pesticides under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and 
the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide 
Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) and any other applicable 
law that may affect the health of pollinators. 
(2) ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT OF 1973.—The 
Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service shall consult with the Director of the Center 
on all decisions regarding the preservation of endan-
gered pollinator habitat and the creation of new such 
habitat that arise in the context of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 
(c) MONITORING OF NATIVE BEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Center shall, for the 
purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term 
viability of native bees and other pollinators, carry 
out the following activities: 
(A) Consult with members of the Polli-
nating Insect-Biology, Management, System-
atics Research unit of the Agricultural Re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
search Service of the Department of Agri-
culture, taxonomists who survey and identify 
native bees, and other pollinator scientists with 
respect to the best methods and data collection 
practices for monitoring the population status 
of native bees and other pollinators. 
(B) Monitor the health and population sta-
tus of native bees, including the population sta-
tus of native bees in agricultural and non-
agricultural habitats, including rural, urban, 
and suburban areas within each of the 12 re-
gions depicted as a ‘‘DOI Unified Region’’ on 
the map titled ‘‘USGS Regions Aligned to DOI 
Unified Regions’’ and dated August 16, 2019. 
(C) Track new scientific developments with 
regard to the impacts of pesticides on polli-
nators and publish an annual report that in-
clude policy recommendations to reduce such 
impacts. 
(D) Identify the scope and likely causes of 
incidents of unusual native bee mortality and 
promote actions to stop additional such inci-
dents. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, and annu-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
ally thereafter, the Director of the Center shall sub-
mit to Congress, and make available to the public on 
the website of the Center, a report regarding the 
health and population status of native bees and 
other pollinators. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency. 
(2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means the 
Center for Pollinator Conservation of the United 
States Fish and Wildlife Service. 
(3) NEONICOTINOID
PESTICIDE.—The term 
‘‘neonicotinoid pesticide’’ means any active ingre-
dient or pesticide product that contains at least 1 of 
the active ingredients— 
(A) imidacloprid; 
(B) clothianidin; 
(C) thiamethoxam; 
(D) dinotefuran; 
(E) acetamiprid; 
(F) sulfoxaflor; 
(G) flupyradifurone; 
(H) chlorantraniliprole; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
(I) fipronil. 
(4) 
POLLINATOR.—the 
term 
‘‘pollinator’’ 
means— 
(A) a species of the class Insecta that 
move pollen from one part of a plant to an-
other; and 
(B) any other species determined by the 
Secretary of the Interior to constitute a polli-
nator that merits protection under the provi-
sions of this Act. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act— 
(1) $3,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 through 
2026; 
(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 through 
2030; and 
(3) such sums as are necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this Act thereafter. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
16:07 Jul 30, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4277.IH
H4277
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB