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S 2421
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FARM Act

To amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to provide an exemption from certain notice requirements and penalties for releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms.

Introduced Feb 13, 2018

Latest action (Mar 8, 2018) Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-237.

Referred to
Environment and Public Works Committee Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee
Policy area
Environmental Protection
Issues
Climate & Energy

Summary

This bill amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to exempt farms from certain hazardous substance notification requirements and penalties related to air emissions from animal waste. The exemption applies to air emissions from animal waste, including decomposing animal waste at sites used for crop production or raising livestock, poultry, or fish that generate at least $1,000 in annual agricultural products. The bill also clarifies that applications of registered pesticide products by agricultural producers are exempt from these same notification requirements. The exemption does not affect other environmental enforcement authorities or responsibilities under CERCLA, and farms remain subject to all other environmental laws and regulations.

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)
39 cosponsors

Actions (3)
  1. Mar 8, 2018 Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 115-237. · senate
  2. Feb 13, 2018 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. · senate
  3. Feb 13, 2018 Introduced in Senate

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

  • HR 4296 — CROP for Farming Act · Introduced Jul 7, 2025 · Cong. 119 74%
  • S 795 — Farmers Freedom Act of 2025 · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Cong. 119 74%
  • S 2282 — Farmers First Act of 2025 · Introduced Jul 15, 2025 · Cong. 119 72%
  • HR 4636 — SOIL Act · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 69%
  • S 2396 — Farm Board Act of 2025 · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 69%
  • S 211 — Resiliency for Ranching and Natural Conservation Health Act · Introduced Jan 23, 2025 · Cong. 119 69%

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 13, 2018

Mrs. Fischer (for herself, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Rounds, Mr. Roberts, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. Coons, Mr. Carper, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Ernst, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Moran, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Wicker, Ms. Smith, Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Casey, and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

A BILL

To amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to provide an exemption from certain notice requirements and penalties for releases of hazardous substances from animal waste at farms.

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 “Fair Agricultural Reporting Method Act” or the “FARM Act”.

SEC. 2. EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN NOTICE REQUIREMENTS AND PENALTIES.

Section 103 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9603) is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:

“(e) Applicability to Registered Pesticide Products and Air Emissions From Animal Waste at Farms.—

“(1) In general.—This section shall not apply to—

“(A) the application of a pesticide product registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) or the handling and storage of such a pesticide product by an agricultural producer; or

“(B) air emissions from animal waste (including decomposing animal waste) at a farm.

“(2) Definitions.—In this subsection:

“(A) Animal waste.—

“(i) In general.—The term ‘animal waste’ means feces, urine, or other excrement, digestive emission, urea, or similar substances emitted by animals (including any form of livestock, poultry, or fish).

“(ii) Inclusions.—The term ‘animal waste’ includes animal waste that is mixed or commingled with bedding, compost, feed, soil, or any other material typically found with such waste.

“(B) Farm.—The term ‘farm’ means a site or area (including associated structures) that—

“(i) is used for—

“(I) the production of a crop; or

“(II) the raising or selling of animals (including any form of livestock, poultry, or fish); and

“(ii) under normal conditions, produces during a farm year any agricultural products with a total value equal to not less than $1,000.”.

SEC. 3. APPLICATION.

Nothing in this Act or an amendment made by this Act affects, or supersedes or modifies the responsibility or authority of any Federal official or employee to comply with or enforce, any requirement under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.), other than the hazardous substance notification requirements under section 103 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 9603) with respect to air emissions from animal waste at farms. <all>

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