The Senate last Thursday unanimously passed H.R. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Enhancement Act, which would reauthorize the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA) that gives the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to collect fees to maintain the registration of pesticides.

According to a summary of the bill from the National Sorghum Producers, the bill includes an amendment from Sen. Tom Udall (D., N.M.) that preserves the Worker Protection Standard (WPS), which has been criticized by the agricultural community. Further, a provision under the standard allows workers to designate a representative on their behalf to obtain pesticide and application information. Udall's original effort was to codify the WPS and also ban chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in Lorsban, but through opposition, he backed off the measure.

The bill also preserves the Certification of Pesticide Applicators (CPA) Rule, which provides key safeguards for farm workers -- particularly child farm workers -- from toxic pesticide exposure.

Udall, along with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Kamala Harris (D., Cal.), Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D., Cal.) and others, had sought these protections as part of PRIA in response to appeals from farm workers around the country after recent EPA moves to reopen the two rules. The rules prevent children younger than 18 working in agriculture from handling particular pesticides such as chlorpyrifos, which Udall claims has been linked to brain damage in children, and to help farm workers get critical health and safety information about the pesticides they come into contact with.

Related:Senate Ag begins pesticide registration review

"PRIA has had a long tradition of bipartisan congressional and stakeholder support. With my amendment, I believe that this tradition can continue,” Udall said. He also thanked Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts (R., Kan.) and ranking member Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) "for working with us to resolve our concerns, and I encourage the House to maintain this same bipartisan spirit and move quickly to send this legislation to the President."

The agreement reauthorizes PRIA through 2023 and preserves the updated WPS and CPA through at least Oct. 1, 2021.

In June 2017, the Senate Agriculture Committee favorably reported H.R. 1029, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Extension Act of 2017. In May 2017, the committee held a hearing in preparation for legislative action to gather input on pesticide registrations.

In March 2017, the House passed H.R. 1029 with strong bipartisan support by voice vote on the suspension calendar.

The House will have to take up the measure again to reconcile the differences passed in the Senate version.