I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2044 
To prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or exportation of any 
pesticide containing atrazine. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2013 
Mr. ELLISON (for himself, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 
MORAN, and Ms. SCHAKOWSKY) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Commit-
tees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Foreign Affairs, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit the use, production, sale, importation, or 
exportation of any pesticide containing atrazine. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Atrazine, a weed-killing pesticide, is the 
most widely used herbicide in the United States. The 
United 
States 
annually 
uses 
65,000,000 
to 
80,000,000 pounds of atrazine. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
19:34 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2044.IH
H2044
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) The toxicity of atrazine is well documented 
and has shown to have adverse endocrine effects in 
amphibians, mammals, and humans. There is evi-
dence that atrazine exposure is associated with small 
birth weight, abnormal development of the gut wall 
in infants, and spontaneous abortions. In laboratory 
mammals, exposure is associated with abnormal re-
productive system development, impaired prostate 
gland formation, and abnormal breast tissue devel-
opment. In aquatic wildlife, exposure is associated 
with abnormal reproductive system development, im-
paired reproduction, and impaired immune system 
function. 
(3) The United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
acknowledges that atrazine may have potential ad-
verse effects on fish, such as organ tissue disease, 
disruption to the endocrine and olfactory systems, 
and reduced reproductive function. 
(4) The United States Geological Survey found 
atrazine in approximately 85 percent of stream 
waters and 40 percent of all ground water samples 
from agricultural areas tested. The United States 
Geological Survey has found that atrazine has the 
highest frequency of detection of all pesticides in ag-
ricultural streams, and the highest frequency of de-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
19:34 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2044.IH
H2044
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
tection of all herbicides in urban streams. According 
to data from the Environmental Protection Agency 
Ecological Watershed Monitoring Program, the sur-
face water sampled in the Midwestern and Southern 
United States suffers from pervasive atrazine con-
tamination. Sampling of watersheds between 2004 
and 2006 showed that all 40 watersheds tested had 
detectable levels of atrazine, and 25 watersheds had 
average concentrations above 1 ppb. While these av-
erage elevated concentrations of atrazine are worri-
some, high peak concentrations may also be dan-
gerous. Nine watersheds had at least one sample 
showing levels above 50 ppb, and four watersheds 
had levels above 100 ppb. 
(5) According to data from the Environmental 
Protection Agency Atrazine Monitoring Program, 
high levels of atrazine are also evident in drinking 
water systems. More than 90 percent of the samples 
taken in 139 water systems had measurable levels of 
atrazine in both 2003 and 2004. Three systems had 
annual averages exceeding 3 ppb. 
(6) In 1991, Germany and Italy banned the use 
of atrazine. In 2003, European regulators an-
nounced a ban on the pesticide throughout the Euro-
pean Union. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
19:34 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2044.IH
H2044
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(7) The Department of Agriculture estimates 
that a ban on atrazine would result in crop losses of 
only 1.19 percent and decrease corn acreage by only 
2.3 percent. Since banning atrazine nearly 20 years 
ago, both Italy and Germany have not experienced 
a reduction of corn productivity or total acreage of 
land in production. 
SEC. 2. ATRAZINE PROHIBITION. 
Notwithstanding any other law, the use, production, 
sale, importation, or exportation of atrazine or an atrazine 
product is prohibited. 
SEC. 3. ENFORCEMENT. 
Any person who violates section 2 shall be fined 
under title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned not 
more than 2 years, or both. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ATRAZINE.—The term ‘‘atrazine’’ or ‘‘active 
ingredient atrazine’’ refers to the pesticide chemical 
2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5-tri-
azine. 
(2) ATRAZINE PRODUCT.—The term ‘‘atrazine 
product’’ means any pesticide containing the active 
ingredient atrazine, as identified on the Environ-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
19:34 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2044.IH
H2044
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
mental Protection Agency registered label, either 
alone or in a combination with other pesticides. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
19:34 May 24, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2044.IH
H2044
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS