Pesticide Reform Legislation: H.R. 1627
Pesticide reform legislation, H.R. 1627 and S. 1166, has been
introduced in both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate with broad
support from the food industry. H.R. 1627 has over 200 co-sponsors in the House
and S. 1166 has ten co-sponsers in the Senate. It is critically important that
Congress pass pesticide legislation this year that will reform the Delaney
Clause and address the growing lack of pesticides available for use on "minor"
crops--all fruits and vegetables.
The House Committee on Agriculture has taken action on H.R. 1627, but it cannot
report the bill to the House floor for a vote until the Commerce
Committee--which has juristiction over that portion of the bill that addresses
the Delaney Clause--has considered and passed the bill out of committee.
Major concerns for the legislation are:
-
replace the outdated, zero-risk Delaney Clause with a modern, science based
standard as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences;
-
promote the availability of safe and effective pesticides for minor use crops;
and
-
enhance EPA's ability to restrict or eliminate the use of problem pesticides
(this provision will maintain a high level of confidence in the safety of the
food supply).
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