HR 5564119th CongressIn Committee

To amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to provide for improved coordination between the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Sep 26, 2025

Agriculture & FoodEnvironment & Climate

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) to strengthen and formalize how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) work together on pesticide risk mitigation, data sharing, and related actions. The core changes require EPA to coordinate with USDA on risk-mitigation measures, conduct and publish economic analyses of those measures, and coordinate data and information (including agronomic use data and alternatives) through USDA’s Office of Pest Management Policy. It also mandates coordinated consideration of certain Endangered Species Act-related actions and provides a waiver mechanism if all parties agree for a specific action. The overall aim is to ensure that agricultural and economic considerations are integrated into pesticide regulation and to improve transparency about how data and decisions are used.

Key Points

1Risk mitigation coordination: If risk mitigation measures are required for a pesticide, EPA must develop them in coordination with USDA and publish an economic analysis in the docket. This analysis must assess costs to growers, state agencies, and other affected entities, including labeling changes and use restrictions, as well as the costs and benefits of reduced risk to pesticide users.
2Data and information sharing: For pesticide registration or renewal decisions and actions under relevant federal law (including actions affecting sale, distribution, or use), EPA must coordinate with USDA via the Director of the Office of Pest Management Policy. This includes obtaining agronomic use data from USDA and industry, and information on the availability and economic viability of alternatives to the pesticide.
3Transparency about data use: When decisions are issued, EPA must publish in the docket a description of how the data provided by USDA was used (or why it was not used) in making the decision.
4Endangered Species Act (ESA) actions: EPA must coordinate with USDA (Secretary of Agriculture), the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce to review and consider reasonable and prudent actions under the ESA related to pesticide use. This includes evaluating options consistent with risk/benefit assessments and providing feedback between agencies about decisions that affect end users.
5Waiver provision: The coordination requirements can be waived or modified for a specific action if the Administrator, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the registrant agree, with the agreement published in the docket for that action.
6Scope and references: The coordination spans actions under FIFRA Section 3 (registration) and, where applicable, decisions under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act related to pesticide actions, with involvement of multiple agencies and the possibility of waivers.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Pesticide registrants and manufacturers- U.S. growers and farm operations that use or are affected by pesticide labeling and use restrictions- State and local lead pesticide regulatory agenciesSecondary group/area affected- USDA and its Office of Pest Management Policy, which would play a formal coordinating role- Agrochemical retailers, pest management professionals, and agribusinesses affected by labeling changes or use restrictionsAdditional impacts- Increased transparency and documentation via dockets (including economic analyses and data usage)- Potentially more comprehensive consideration of economic and agronomic factors in regulatory decisions- Possible changes in the timeline for regulatory actions due to added coordination and analysis- Enhanced integration of Endangered Species Act considerations into pesticide decision-making with interagency inputThe bill emphasizes coordination and data sharing between EPA and USDA, aiming to balance pesticide risk reduction with real-world agricultural economics and availability of alternatives.It introduces a formal mechanism for economic analysis tied to risk mitigation, with the potential to influence labeling, use restrictions, and other regulatory actions.The waiver provision allows for flexibility on a case-by-case basis if all parties agree and publish the agreement.

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