HR 91119th CongressIn Committee

Freedom for Farmers Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 3, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Freedom for Farmers Act of 2025 would abolish the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) one year after enactment and transfer its statutory duties to another agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The bill focuses on moving the national registries related to toxic exposures and serious diseases away from ATSDR, with the Secretary of HHS responsible for transferring authority, assets, and personnel and for winding down all ATSDR functions during a wind-up period. In addition to abolishing the agency, the bill makes extensive conforming amendments to remove ATSDR references from a wide range of federal laws, replacing them with other agencies or offices (often within CDC or broader HHS) as the successor. In short, the bill would eliminate ATSDR as an independent entity and consolidate or reassign its core functions and references across numerous statutes, shifting ongoing responsibilities to other parts of HHS (primarily the Department’s health agencies) and establishing a formal wind-down process for the agency’s obligations.

Key Points

1Abolishment and wind-down
2- ATSDR would be abolished 1 year after enactment. All of its functions would terminate on that date, except as otherwise provided for wind-up and transfer. The Secretary of Health and Human Services would oversee the wind-down period and ensure orderly closure of programs and obligations.
3Transfer of authority and assets
4- Before the abolition date, the Secretary must transfer the authority ATSDR held under CERCLA (the national registry of serious diseases and illnesses and the national registry of persons exposed to toxic substances) to an appropriate agency within HHS. The Secretary may also transfer related assets, funds, personnel, records, and other property as needed.
5Wind-up responsibilities
6- The wind-up period (the time between enactment and the abolition date) requires the Secretary to administer and wind down all terminated functions, settle outstanding obligations under ATSDR programs, and take any other actions needed to conclude the agency’s affairs.
7Conforming amendments across federal law
8- The bill would remove ATSDR references and related language from numerous statutes (e.g., CERCLA, Toxic Substances Control Act, various Public Health Service and environmental laws, Solid Waste Disposal Act, Clean Air Act, Water Infrastructure laws, and other health and safety statutes). In many cases, replacements point to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or general HHS functions, or remove references to ATSDR entirely.
9Effective date of amendments
10- The conforming amendments apply beginning on the abolition date specified in Section 2(a), i.e., 1 year after enactment.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Public health governance and administration: The major operational impact is the removal of ATSDR as a standalone agency and the transfer of its registry responsibilities to other HHS entities (likely within CDC). This could affect how data on toxic exposures and related diseases are collected, maintained, and used for public health surveillance and response.Secondary group/area affected- States, local health departments, and stakeholders involved in Superfund and toxic exposure risk management: States are allowed to participate in maintaining registries under the new arrangement, and coordination with federal agencies will shift accordingly. Stakeholders in environmental health, occupational health, and agricultural communities (including farmers and farm workers) may experience changes in regulatory oversight and health-monitoring programs.Additional impacts- Transitional risk and administrative burden: Abolishing a standing agency and transferring statutory duties creates a transitional period that could involve data migration, reorganized workflows, and potential gaps in ongoing programs if not managed smoothly.- Regulatory and statutory clarity: The broad set of conforming amendments would remove ATSDR references from many laws, potentially altering who leads certain health assessments, risk communication, and toxic exposure monitoring in different contexts. In some cases, replacements emphasize CDC or general HHS oversight; in others, the language removes ATSDR involvement without specifying a direct successor.- Public health data and research: Depending on how the transfer is implemented, there could be implications for data continuity, research funding, and public health guidance related to toxic substances and exposures.ATSDR: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a public health agency within HHS focused on health impacts of exposure to hazardous substances and on registries related to toxic exposures.CERCLA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, commonly known as Superfund, which governs cleanup of hazardous waste sites and related activities, including certain registry and health-assessment functions.Registry: A systematic collection of data about individuals or diseases for surveillance and public health planning (in this context, registries of serious diseases and of people exposed to toxic substances).

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