# 119-s-897: Farewell to Foam Act of 2025

119-s-897, Farewell to Foam Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-897
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-897
- Congress: 119
- Title: Farewell to Foam Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Cosponsors: 12
- Policy area: Environmental Protection
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Nationwide ban on expanded polystyrene (EPS) foodware and common packing materials.** This bill would phase in a prohibition on the sale and distribution of EPS food service ware, EPS loose fill, and EPS coolers beginning January 1, 2028 and gives the Environmental Protection Agency authority to issue regulations and oversee enforcement. - Families and consumers: Consumers would no longer receive EPS takeout containers, foam cups, or packing peanuts from businesses covered by the ban. - Small businesses and food providers: Food service providers and retailers with under $1 million in annual revenue get limits on penalty frequency, with fines not imposed more than once in any 7 day period. - Manufacturers and distributors: Manufacturers and distributors would face escalating civil penalties up to $1,000 and have limited penalty frequency if annual revenue is under $5 million. - Health and state enforcement: EPS coolers used for drugs, medical devices, or biological products are excluded, and the EPA can authorize states to enforce the law if they meet federal requirements.

## Cosponsors (12)

- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-06T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-05-22T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Nationwide ban on foam foodware: cost, high. If enacted, this bill would prohibit selling, offering for sale, or distributing expanded polystyrene (EPS) food service ware, EPS loose fill (packing peanuts), and EPS coolers in the United States starting January 1, 2028. It would define which items are covered, including single-use foam plates,…
- Fines and EPA enforcement for businesses: cost, low. If enacted, the EPA would first send a written notice for a first violation. After that, penalties would be $250 for a second violation, $500 for a third violation, and $1,000 for the fourth and any later violation. For food sellers and retailers with under $1,000,000 in annual revenue, and manufac…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-sres-854: A resolution designating September 2026 as "National Voting Rights Month".
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-897 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/897)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-sres-854: A resolution designating September 2026 as "National Voting Rights Month".](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-854)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-897 (as of 2026-09-10).