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Panel advances PFAS-in-agriculture bill after heated debate; amendment requires soil testing and offers farmer immunity with timeline for rulemaking
Summary
The subcommittee adopted Representative Germana’s amendment to HB1275, narrowing the bill, requiring testing of agricultural soils before land application of bio solids, adding temporary civil-immunity for farmers, and directing DEES to begin rulemaking on protective concentration standards by mid-2027; members noted substantial disagreement and planned a floor amendment to refine effective dates.
Representative Germana’s amendment (2026-0925H) to HB1275, addressing PFAS (referred to in the transcript as PAS) and agricultural impacts, cleared the House Environment and Agriculture subcommittee after prolonged debate.
Key changes: The amendment narrows the bill’s scope and (1) retains a civil-immunity provision for farmers who test and comply with rules, (2) requires concentration-based standards for biosolids to be established in DEES rules, (3) requires soil and biosolid testing before land application so that combined concentrations do not exceed standards protective of drinking water, and (4) authorizes the Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund advisory commission to consider supporting testing costs in certain circumstances.
Contested points: Environmental advocates and some community groups warned the immunity language could shield harmful land application and objected to potential use of the drinking-water trust fund for remediation. Representative Thomas (the bill’s prime sponsor) and advocates for impacted communities urged stronger health-based protections. DEES staff said they are modeling how soil concentrations translate to groundwater and expect modeling results by fall; staff recommended leaving concentration levels to rulemaking because they depend on hydrology and soil type. Farm Bureau representatives and some committee members supported the amendment as a pragmatic step to collect data and protect farmers who test their land.
Timing and implementation: The amendment directs DEES to start rulemaking by June 30, 2027, to establish maximum concentrations in biosolids and soil additives protective of existing drinking-water standards. Several members asked for a floor amendment to adjust effective dates (to give farmers time to test and align with rule adoption); members agreed to draft that change before the floor vote.
Outcome: The committee adopted the amendment and voted to recommend HB1275 OTPA with the amendment. The floor likely will see further changes, including a proposed effective-date adjustment to align testing and rule timelines.
Why it matters: The amendment begins to address an emerging public-health and agricultural cross-cutting issue (PFAS in biosolids and soil) by requiring testing and a timeline for regulatory standards, while drawing scrutiny about funding, liability and timing.
What’s next: DEES rulemaking and further floor-level amendment negotiations are expected; stakeholders on both sides indicated they will press for clarifications in the full House and (if necessary) the Senate.
