Bill Details
HR.91 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-01-03 - Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced Date
2025-01-03
Policy Area
Health
Committees
View committees (1)
Sponsors
8
0
0
AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would shut down the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry one year after the law takes effect. Its main public health work would not disappear; instead, the Department of Health and Human Services would move those duties to another office inside the department. During the one-year transition, HHS would handle closing out the agency, moving needed staff and resources, and making sure any unfinished obligations are taken care of.
- The agency would be abolished one year after enactment, and its regular functions would end at that time.
- The government’s work on national registries for serious diseases, illnesses, and people exposed to toxic substances would be transferred to another HHS agency.
- HHS could move related money, property, records, personnel, and other assets needed to carry out the transfer.
- The bill also changes many existing laws to remove references to the agency and update those laws so other parts of the government, especially HHS and the CDC, handle the responsibilities instead.
Official Summaries
Freedom for Farmers Act of 2025
This bill abolishes the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Currently, this agency, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), investigates and responds to environmental exposures to hazardous substances in communities. The bill requires HHS to transfer authority regarding certain national disease and toxic exposure registries to another appropriate HHS entity.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 91 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 91
To abolish the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Biggs of Arizona introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To abolish the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom for Farmers Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. ABOLISHMENT OF AGENCY FOR TOXIC SUBSTANCES AND DISEASE
REGISTRY.
(a) Abolishment of Agency.--The Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (in this section referred to as the ``Agency'') is
abolished effective on the date that is 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(b) Termination of Functions.--Except as provided in subsection
(c)(1), all functions of the Agency shall terminate on the date
specified in subsection (a).
(c) Transferred Authority.--
(1) In general.--Prior to the date specified in subsection
(a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this
section referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall transfer the
authority vested in the Agency by section 104(i)(1)(A) of the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9604(i)(1)(A)) as in effect on
the day before the date of enactment of this Act (relating to a
national registry of serious diseases and illnesses and a
national registry of persons exposed to toxic substances) to an
appropriate agency within the Department of Health and Human
Services.
(2) Corresponding transfer of assets and personnel.--In
connection with the transfer of authority under paragraph (1),
the Secretary may transfer within the Department of Health and
Human Services such assets, funds, personnel, records, and
other property relating to the transferred authority as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(d) Wind-Up Period.--
(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``wind-up
period'' means the period beginning on the date of the
enactment of this Act and ending on the date specified in
subsection (a).
(2) Responsibilities.--The Secretary shall be responsible
for--
(A) the administration and wind-up, during the
wind-up period, of all functions of the Agency that are
terminated by this section;
(B) the administration and wind-up, during the
wind-up period, of any outstanding obligations of the
Federal Government under any programs of the Agency
that are terminated by this section; and
(C) taking such other actions as may be necessary
to wind-up any outstanding affairs of the Agency before
the end of the wind-up period.
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) CERCLA.--The Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) in section 104 (42 U.S.C. 9604), by amending subsection
(i) to read as follows:
``(i) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, in
cooperation with the States, maintain a national registry of serious
diseases and illnesses and a national registry of persons exposed to
toxic substances.'';
(2) in section 111 (42 U.S.C. 9611)--
(A) by striking subsection (c)(4); and
(B) by striking subsection (m); and
(3) in section 310(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 9659(a)(2)), by
striking ``and the Administrator of the ATSDR''.
(b) Other Conforming Changes.--
(1) Section 2704 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by striking subsection (f).
(2) Section 405(d)(1) of the Toxic Substances Control Act
(15 U.S.C. 2601(d)(1)) is amended by striking ``acting through
the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry,''.
(3) Section 209(c)(1)(A) of the Fire Administration
Authorization Act of 1992 (29 U.S.C. 671a(c)(1)(A)) is amended
by striking ``the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry,''.
(4) Section 118(e)(3)(A) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1268(e)(3)(A)) is amended by striking
``, in consultation with the Research Office, the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Great Lakes States''
and inserting ``, in consultation with the Research Office and
Great Lakes States,''.
(5) Section 317F(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 247b-7(a)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or the Agency
for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
(6) Section 399S of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 280g-7) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(i)--
(i) by inserting ``and'' at the end of
subclause (II);
(ii) by striking subclause (III); and
(iii) by redesignating subclause (IV) as
subclause (III); and
(B) in subsection (d)(1)(A)--
(i) by striking clause (iv); and
(ii) by redesignating clauses (v) through
(vii) as clauses (iv) through (vi),
respectively.
(7) Section 399V-6(e)(5) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 280g-17(e)(5)) is amended by striking ``and the
Assessments of Chemical Exposures Program of the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
(8) Section 3(c) of the ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000
(42 U.S.C. 285l-3(c)) is amended--
(A) by striking paragraph (1); and
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (16) as
paragraphs (1) through (15), respectively.
(9) Section 2201(e) of the Water Infrastructure
Improvements for the Nation Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12 note) is
amended by striking ``the Director of the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry of'' each place it appears.
(10) Section 2203 of the Water Infrastructure Improvements
for the Nation Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-27) is amended--
(A) in subsection (b), by striking ``within the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry or the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the
discretion of the Secretary'' and inserting ``within
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention''; and
(B) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``, within
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry''.
(11) Section 709(a)(7) of the Security and Accountability
for Every Port Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 300hh-14(a)(7)) is
amended by striking ``the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry,''.
(12) Section 3001 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6921(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and''.
(13) Section 3019 of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6939a) is amended--
(A) by striking subsections (b) through (g); and
(B) in subsection (a), by striking the subsection
designation and heading.
(14) Section 103(d)(2)(A) of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
7403(d)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry,''.
(c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section apply
beginning on the date specified in section 2(a).
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