Protect Our Farmers and Families Act of 2025
- Sponsor
- Rep. Luna, Anna Paulina [R-FL-13]
- Committees
- Agriculture Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jan 13, 2026
Bottom line
This bill seeks to completely ban the pesticide diquat in the United States by canceling its registration, prohibiting future use and sale, and revoking food tolerances, citing unreasonable adverse environmental effects.
What it actually does
This bill mandates the immediate cancellation of all uses of the pesticide diquat, declaring it to cause "unreasonable adverse effects on the environment." It prohibits the future sale and use of existing diquat stocks and prevents its reregistration. Additionally, it requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revoke all food tolerances or exemptions for diquat residues.
Proponents argue
Supporters would argue this bill protects public health and the environment by swiftly removing a pesticide deemed to cause "unreasonable adverse effects." They would likely highlight potential risks associated with diquat exposure to farmers, consumers, and ecosystems, advocating for a precautionary approach to pesticide regulation and ensuring a safer food supply.
Opponents contend
Opponents, likely agricultural groups and chemical manufacturers, would contend that diquat is a valuable and often essential tool for weed control and crop desiccation in certain farming practices. They would argue that a ban would increase costs for farmers, reduce crop yields, and potentially force reliance on less effective or more harmful alternatives, without sufficient scientific justification for such an immediate and comprehensive prohibition.
The bill is exceptionally short and clearly written, making it very accessible for any reader to understand its core provisions quickly and thoroughly.
Section 2(a)
Cancellation of Diquat Registration and Revocation of Tolerances
This provision legislatively declares that diquat causes unreasonable adverse environmental effects. It mandates the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to immediately cancel the registration of all uses of diquat. Following this cancellation, the EPA is also required to revoke any tolerances or exemptions that allow diquat, or its residues, to be present in or on food, effectively removing it from the food supply chain.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that this provision is a crucial step to protect public health and the environment from a pesticide deemed harmful. By legislatively declaring diquat to cause "unreasonable adverse effects" and mandating its cancellation, the bill ensures that swift and comprehensive regulatory action is taken, removing a known hazard from agricultural practices and the food chain without the delays of administrative review.
Critics contend
Opponents would contend that this provision bypasses established scientific review processes under FIFRA, making a legislative declaration of harm without full regulatory assessment. They would argue that a blanket cancellation without considering specific use cases or alternatives could severely impact agricultural productivity and increase operational costs for farmers who rely on diquat for effective weed and desiccation management.
Tradeoffs
The provision balances immediate environmental and public health protection against potential economic impacts on the agricultural sector and the pesticide industry. It also highlights a tension between direct legislative mandate and the traditional, often more deliberative, regulatory review process of the EPA under FIFRA.
Section 2(b)
Immediate Prohibition on Existing Diquat Stocks
This section explicitly prohibits the continued sale and use of any existing stocks of diquat immediately upon the bill's enactment. This provision overrides the standard allowance in the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) that often permits a phase-out or continued use of existing stocks after a pesticide's registration is canceled.
Section 2(c)
Permanent Prohibition on Diquat Reregistration
This provision explicitly forbids the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from reregistering diquat under Section 4 of FIFRA, effective immediately upon the bill's enactment. This ensures that the pesticide cannot be brought back to market through any future administrative processes, providing a permanent legislative ban.