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Senate approves Pesticide Registration Improvement Act

The Senate has unanimously approved the reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA). PRIA allows the Environmental Protection Agency to collect fees for pesticide registration.

The legislation includes an amendment from New Mexico Senator Tom Udall. The amendment protects farmworkers, especially those under 18 years old, from pesticides. It also reauthorizes PRIA through 2023.

Agri-Pulse reports that the Senate PRIA bill requires the Government Accountability Office to prepare a report by October 2021, and include recommendations to prevent the misuse of pesticide application and hazard information.

In a press release, Udall says the bill will help maintain safeguards that protect almost half a million young kids working on farms from handling pesticides. He says it will also make sure that farmworkers have access to safety information about the chemicals they handle.

Senate Ag Committee Chair Pat Roberts says the approval of the long-delayed Pesticide Registration Improvement Act will provide producers with certainty in a tough farm economy.