Plastic Health Research Act

• Universities, nonprofit research groups, and consortia could receive grants and contracts to develop vetted, reproducible methods and to fill gaps in health effects research. The bill would authorize $10.0 million per year for the research grants program for FY2026–2030 and requires annual reports to Congress.
• The measure would establish centers of excellence to develop standard material definitions, validated testing methodologies, and QA/QC practices. Those centers would be eligible for grants that the bill would authorize at $10.0 million per year for FY2026–2030 and could be renewed after peer review.
• Federal science and regulatory agencies including the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology must coordinate and share findings. The bill also emphasizes public awareness, hazard and risk assessments, and exposure characterization across production, occupational, consumer use, recycling, and waste pathways.

*Would authorize $10.0 million per year for research grants and $10.0 million per year for centers for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, totaling $20.0 million per year in authorized funding, and actual outlays would depend on future appropriations.*