Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill phases out all nonessential uses of PFAS (forever chemicals) within 10 years. The National Academies would review which uses are truly essential, meaning they are critical for health and safety with no safer alternative available. After 10 years, any use not specifically approved as essential would be banned.
• Certain consumer products face much faster bans. Within one year, PFAS would be banned in carpets, food packaging, and juvenile products. Within two years, the ban extends to cosmetics, indoor furniture, and most clothing. Outdoor furniture and severe-weather apparel get 4 and 5 years respectively.
• Manufacturers and users must submit annual reports detailing how much PFAS they use, what they release into the environment, and how many workers are exposed. The EPA would publish these reports for public review. Companies that stop using PFAS entirely can opt out of reporting.
• The bill creates two new research centers focused on detecting and cleaning up PFAS contamination in water, funded with $25 million from Department of Defense appropriations. One center would be at a major research university partnered with a national lab, and the other at a rural university.
• Companies can no longer use bankruptcy proceedings to shield themselves from PFAS-related lawsuits. The bill also extends statutes of repose for people harmed by hazardous substance exposure, giving communities more time to bring legal claims after discovering contamination.
• Federal agencies must immediately begin eliminating purchases of products known to contain PFAS. The EPA would oversee a fee-based system where manufacturers pay $100,000 per annual report and per petition if fees aren't finalized within two years, funding the oversight program.

Votes

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