Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a grant program to help states and other entities address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, on agricultural land and commercial farms.

Specifically, the USDA program must provide an eligible government (e.g., a state, territory, or Indian tribe) a grant for purposes that include

• providing financial assistance to a person whose commercial farm is affected by PFAS contamination;
• assisting the producers on agricultural land and commercial farms contaminated by PFAS in developing an enterprise budget for alternative production, remediation strategies, transitioning to an alternative revenue stream, or relocating farming operations;
• expanding the capacity of PFAS testing and data management; and
• conducting research on soil and water remediation systems and food safety relating to PFAS contamination.

At least 30% of the program's total annual funding is set aside for one or more eligible governments with a population of less than 3 million people.

The bill also requires USDA to establish a task force to provide (1) advice regarding whether addressing PFAS contamination should be added as an eligible activity for each USDA program, (2) evaluations of necessary actions for farms already enrolled in a USDA program where PFAS is detected, and (3) technical assistance to eligible governments in addressing PFAS contamination.