Congress·In Committee·H.R. 6977

Better Care for PFAS Patients Act of 2026

Rep. Dexter Introduces Bill to Create National Medical Guidelines for PFAS Exposure

Jan 8·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Part of: Bipartisan Push for National PFAS Medical Guidelines

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

StalledNext up: A house committeeNo action in 6 months

This bill is sitting in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has not moved since January 2026. Nothing has happened with this bill for five months, and it is considered stalled. A similar bill in the Senate is also not moving forward.

Companion bill: Sens. Shaheen and Collins Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Create Medical Guidelines for PFAS Exposure →

Legislative Progress

House

No action since January 2026

Senate

President

Law

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 6674 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 6674 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill, introduced by Rep. Dexter, requires the government to create official medical instructions for doctors on how to treat people exposed to PFAS. These "forever chemicals" are found in many household items and can cause long-term health issues because they do not break down easily in the environment or the human body.
Federal health experts will work with the National Academies of Sciences to study how these chemicals affect human tissue. They are required to finish their first major report and medical recommendations within two years, ensuring that doctors have the most current information to help their patients.
The bill makes sure that people living in areas with high chemical pollution have a voice. Scientists must talk to these communities to learn about their experiences with testing and medical care. This feedback will be used to make the medical guidelines more practical for the people who need them most.
Every five years, the government will update and share these medical guidelines with local health departments and doctors nationwide. This ensures that as scientists learn more about the dangers of these chemicals, the medical care people receive stays up to date with the latest discoveries.

HealthcareEnergy Environment

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works

Life & Work

Active-duty service members stationed at bases where PFAS-containing firefighting foam was used could benefit from improved medical guidance. Updated clinical recommendations would help military healthcare providers better identify and treat PFAS-related health concerns among current personnel.

ImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Disabilities

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jan 8, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Jan 8, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

Related News

4 articles

Ripon Advance·Jan 8

Collins cosponsors measure to regularly update guidance on toxic PFAS

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) cosponsored the bipartisan Better Care for PFAS Patients Act, which requires the ATSDR to partner with the National Academies of Sciences to assess health effects and formulate clinical recommendations for doctors treating patients exposed to 'forever chemicals.'

Center Right

EESI·Jan 13

Environment & Energy Congressional Round-Up | January 5 - January 9, 2026

The House and Senate introduced the Better Care for PFAS Patients Act (H.R.6977/S.3598) to support Americans affected by PFAS. Led by Sens. Shaheen and Collins and Reps. Dexter and Lawler, the bill ensures the ATSDR updates health guidance based on the latest scientific assessments.

Center

Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.·Jan 15

Recent Federal Developments for January 2026

The bipartisan Better Care for PFAS Patients Act was introduced on January 8, 2026. The bill mandates an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to assess PFAS health effects and formulate clinical recommendations within two years of enactment.

No votes recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Better Care for PFAS Patients Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 6977

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)

R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.