Brief ⁽¹⁾

SCR 1609 would urge the U.S. Congress to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately initiate appropriate administrative rulemaking to ensure that the policies and standards that EPA intends to apply in evaluating pesticide tolerance are subject to thorough public notice and comment prior to final tolerance determinations being made by the agency. In addition, SCR 1609 would urge the EPA to use sound science and real-world data from the data call-in process in establishing a realistic model for evaluating risks. The resolution would urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) as a priority and that the EPA be required to have reliable pesticide residue data and other FQPA data on the specific crop affected by any proposed restriction before EPA imposes pesticide restrictions under FQPA. In addition, the resolution encourages that the EPA be directed by Congress to implement FQPA in a manner that will not disrupt agricultural production nor negatively impact the availability, diversity, and affordability of food and also that Congress should immediately conduct oversight hearings to ensure that actions by EPA are consistent with FQPA provisions and Congressional intent.

Background

Passed by Congress in 1996, the FQPA revamps existing pesticide regulation and requires EPA to reassess risk assessments for all pesticides within ten years. Conferees appearing before the Committees indicated that they fear the mechanism used to do the evaluation will be flawed and that many pesticides will no longer be available for use in agricultural production.

Those appearing in support of the resolution included representatives of the Kansas Fertilizer and Chemical Association, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas Agricultural Alliance, the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producer's Association, the Kansas Corn Growers, and the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture.

This resolution was considered by both Senate and House Agriculture committees during the 1999 Legislative Session.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html