US: Senate passes pesticide registration legislation

U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., held a business meeting where H.R. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2017, was favorably reported out of the Committee by unanimous voice vote.

“This historically noncontroversial, bipartisan legislation is vitally important to both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as well as farmers and farmworkers,” said Roberts and Stabenow. “Not only does this legislation provide certainty to the pesticide industry, but it also provides new products to farmers for crop protection and to consumers to protect public health.”

In May, the Committee held a hearing in preparation for legislative action to gather input on pesticide registrations. In March, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1029 with strong bipartisan support by voice vote on the suspension calendar. A variety of agriculture, non-agriculture, environmental and labor interests support enactment of this legislation.