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119-hr-8016119th CongressWALLET

Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]

In Committee

Summary

Phases out nonessential uses of PFAS. The bill builds a national framework to stop PFAS releases, require manufacturer and user reporting, force cleanup to safe levels, and push removal of PFAS from products and federal procurement.

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  • Families and communities: Strengthens cleanup standards to levels that do not present unreasonable risk, requires immediate public notice and community meetings for imminent hazards, and preserves citizen suit rights to seek enforcement.
  • Manufacturers and users: Must report detailed use and release data and follow a 10-year universal phaseout for nonessential PFAS uses; resale of nonessential PFAS stocks is banned after 10 years and reckless violations can carry criminal penalties up to 5 years.
  • Federal, state, and research actors: Federal procurement must prioritize PFAS-free products, covered federal agencies waive immunity but may get time-limited presidential national security exemptions, and two Centers of Excellence are funded to scale detection and remediation while fee authorities and appropriations support implementation.

*Authorizes appropriations for FY2027–FY2036 and provides a $25 million DoD transfer for the Centers of Excellence.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 5 mixed.

Monitoring, emergency orders, and fines

This bill would let EPA require monitoring equipment, sampling, and records from companies that make or use PFAS and to inspect sites. EPA would be able to issue immediate orders or go to court if a PFAS presents imminent danger, act without considering costs, and make the violator pay for public notices and community meetings. The EPA could assess per-day fines to remove any economic benefit and seek criminal penalties for reckless violations, including up to five years in prison. The bill would also let private parties sue companies or EPA for violations or imminent-endangerment threats.

National phaseout rules and reporting

This bill would start a national process to end nonessential PFAS uses. EPA would seek a 10-year agreement with the National Academies within 60 days and get an initial Academies report within one year. EPA must issue a final reporting rule within three years requiring every PFAS manufacturer and user to file detailed annual reports (first due 18 months after the final rule) and to submit a 10-year phaseout plan. The bill would define "essential use" with a three-part test and allow EPA to ban sales or releases on accelerated timelines and to finalize validated detection methods and a phaseout schedule within seven years.

Legal review and state rule limits

This bill would narrow where and when people can challenge EPA PFAS rules. Challenges to final regulations generally would go to the D.C. Circuit and must be filed within 90 days. If you do not seek review in that window, you generally could not raise those issues later in enforcement cases. The bill would also bar states and localities from setting rules that are less strict than the federal PFAS rules once federal regulations take effect, though states could adopt stricter rules.

Fees, Centers, and program funding

This bill would require EPA to assess workload and set PFAS report and petition fees. If EPA does not finalize fees within two years, interim minimum fees of $100,000 per annual report and $100,000 per petition would apply, with possible reductions for small manufacturers and some public or nonprofit waivers. The bill would create two Treasury funds to hold fees that EPA can spend without more appropriations. It would also make $25 million available from Defense funds for two PFAS Centers of Excellence to build testing and cleanup capacity through September 30, 2036, and would authorize "such sums as may be necessary" for this title from FY2027 through FY2036.

Federal agencies must follow PFAS rules

This bill would require covered Federal agencies to follow the same PFAS laws and rules as private companies. The United States would waive immunity for injunctive relief and many civil or administrative penalties. Federal workers would not face personal civil fines for actions within their duties, but criminal sanctions could still apply. The President could exempt an agency for national security for up to one year at a time, and must report exemptions to Congress by January 31 each year. Federal agencies would also be required, to the maximum extent practicable, to stop buying products known to contain PFAS and could pause purchases while they check and find safer alternatives.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]

MN • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 3/19/2026

  • Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 4/9/2026

  • Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 6/3/2026

  • Rep. Quigley, Mike [D-IL-5]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 6/23/2026

  • Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 7/9/2026

  • Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]

    IN • D

    Sponsored 7/21/2026

  • Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 8/27/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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