I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7866 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to award grants and carry out other 
activities to develop alternatives to aqueous film-forming foam, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2020 
Ms. DEAN (for herself, Mr. GALLAGHER, Mr. KIM, Mr. KILDEE, and Ms. 
HOULAHAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology, 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 direct the Secretary of Defense to award grants and 
carry out other activities to develop alternatives to aque-
ous film-forming foam, 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 ‘‘PFAS Free Foam Re-
search and Development Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE 
TO AQUEOUS FILM-FORMING FOAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology and in consultation with appropriate stakeholders 
and manufacturers, research institutions, and other Fed-
eral agencies, shall award grants and carry out other ac-
tivities to— 
(1) promote and advance the research and de-
velopment of additional alternatives to aqueous film- 
forming foam (in this section referred to as 
‘‘AFFF’’) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub-
stances (in this section referred to as ‘‘PFAS’’) to 
facilitate the development of a military specification 
and subsequent fielding of a PFAS-free fire-fighting 
foam; 
(2) advance the use of green and sustainable 
chemistry for a fluorine-free alternative to AFFF; 
(3) increase opportunities for sharing best prac-
tices within the research and development sector 
with respect to AFFF; 
(4) assist in the testing of potential alternatives 
to AFFF; and 
(5) provide guidelines on priorities with respect 
to an alternative to AFFF. 
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(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out 
the program required under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) take into consideration the different uses of 
AFFF and the priorities of the Department of De-
fense in finding an alternative; 
(2) prioritize green and sustainable chemicals 
that do not pose a threat to public health or the en-
vironment; and 
(3) use and leverage research from existing De-
partment of Defense programs. 
(c) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a report on— 
(1) the priorities and actions taken with respect 
to finding an alternative to AFFF and the imple-
mentation of such priorities; and 
(2) any alternatives the Secretary has denied, 
and the reason for any such denial. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—This section shall be carried 
out using amounts authorized to be available for the Stra-
tegic Environmental Research and Development Program. 
Æ 
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