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Research for Healthy Soils Act
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to include as a high-priority research and extension area research on microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill designates research on microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland as a high-priority area for federal agricultural research and extension grants. It authorizes funding for studies to measure microplastic concentration and composition in biosolids used on farmland, develop wastewater treatment techniques to remove or break down microplastics, and analyze the impacts of microplastics on crops and soil health. The bill also supports research on how wastewater processing affects microplastics and how microplastics behave and move in farmland environments. Additionally, the bill extends the authorization period for high-priority agricultural research initiatives through 2031.
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)
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
4 cosponsors
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ)
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI)
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR)
Actions (2)
- Jul 29, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. · senate
- Jul 29, 2025 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.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 29, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to include as a high-priority research and extension area research on microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland, 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 “Research for Healthy Soils Act”.
SEC. 2. MICROPLASTICS IN LAND-APPLIED BIOSOLIDS ON FARMLAND.
Section 1672(d) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(21) Microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland.—Research and extension grants may be made under this section for the purposes of carrying out or enhancing research on the agricultural impacts of plastic or plastic-coated particles that are less than 5 millimeters in any dimension (referred to in this paragraph as ‘microplastics’) in land- applied biosolids on farmland, including—
“(A) by conducting surveys and collecting data on microplastic concentration, particle size, and chemical composition in land-applied biosolids on farmland;
“(B) through the development or analysis of wastewater treatment techniques to filter out or biodegrade microplastics from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes;
“(C) by conducting an analysis of the impact on agricultural crops and soil health of microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland;
“(D) by conducting research to better understand how wastewater processing impacts microplastics; and
“(E) by conducting research to better understand the fate, residence time, and transport of microplastics on farmland.”.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF HIGH-PRIORITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION INITIATIVES.
Section 1672 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5925) is amended by striking “2023” each place it appears in subsection (e)(5), subsection (f)(5), paragraphs (1)(B),
(2)(B), and (3) of subsection (g), and subsection (h) and inserting “2031”. <all>
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