I 
116TH 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 3, 2019 
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 Representa-
tives 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 2019’’. 
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 re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Agency’’) is abolished effective on the 
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date that is 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act. 
(b) TERMINATION OF FUNCTIONS.—Except as pro-
vided 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 ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall transfer the authority vested in the 
Agency by section 104(i)(1)(A) of the Comprehen-
sive 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 per-
sons 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 trans-
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ferred 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, dur-
ing the wind-up period, of all functions of the 
Agency that are terminated by this section; 
(B) the administration and wind-up, dur-
ing the wind-up period, of any outstanding obli-
gations 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 pe-
riod. 
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— 
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(1) in section 104 (42 U.S.C. 9604), by amend-
ing 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 Adminis-
tration Authorization Act of 1992 (29 U.S.C. 
671a(c)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘the Admin-
istrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Dis-
ease Registry,’’. 
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(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 Re-
search Office, the Agency for Toxic Substances and 
Disease Registry, and Great Lakes States’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, in consultation with the Research Office 
and Great Lakes States,’’. 
(5) Section 317F(a) of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–7(a)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and the 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Reg-
istry’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or the 
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Reg-
istry’’. 
(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 
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(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 Expo-
sures 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’’ 
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 
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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 Ac-
countability for Every Port Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 
300hh–14(a)(7)) is amended by striking ‘‘the Agen-
cy 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 Reg-
istry 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 sub-
section 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 Reg-
istry,’’. 
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