Research for Healthy Soils Act

The Research for Healthy Soils Act would add a new high-priority area to the federal research and extension framework for agriculture. Introduced by Senator Merkley and co-sponsors, the bill amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to designate research on microplastics in land-applied biosolids (sewage sludge) used on farmland as a high-priority topic. It authorizes research and extension grants to study microplastics (defined as plastic or plastic-coated particles under 5 millimeters) in biosolids, including data collection on concentration, size, and composition; development or evaluation of wastewater treatment methods to remove or biodegrade microplastics; analysis of effects on crops and soil health; understanding how wastewater processing affects microplastics; and the fate and transport of microplastics on farmland. The bill also extends the period for reauthorizing high-priority research initiatives to 2031, up from 2023.