02/18/2026
Take Action—Farm Bill Draft Is a Broadside Against Health and the Environment
Coming up in Congress in the next week, our basic right to sue chemical manufacturers for the harm caused by their toxic products and their failure to warn about those hazards is being threatened (Section 10205) in the Farm Bill draft—language just released on Friday, February 13!
Litigation has always been a tool for holding manufacturers accountable for the damages they cause, providing an important check on the marketing of products not adequately regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). While this has always been of fundamental importance, it is especially critical during the current dismantling of EPA and the current deregulation of the industry.
Instead of destroying incentives to ensure corporate responsibility, Congress through the Farm Bill should be facilitating the transition to ecological-based practices, like federally defined organic methods, that address the existential health, biodiversity, and climate issues of our time.
↪️ Beyond violating this basic right to be warned of product hazards, the legislation preempts the authority of local governments to protect their residents from pesticide exposure, as determined by state government (reversing a 1991 U.S. Supreme Court decision). (Section 10206.)
↪️ Furthermore, the bill exempts registered pesticides from further “permitting or approval requirements,” which could include permits to restrict pesticides under the Clean Water Act, requirements for an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act, or meet review standards under the Endangered Species Act. (Section 10207.)
🔗 Link to the bill sections 10205 - 10207: https://ow.ly/9b5K50Yfs7J
📣 Tell members of the U.S. House of Representatives to stop provisions in the Farm Bill that shield chemical companies from liability for the harm caused by their products, intrude on local communities' democratic right to restrict pesticides, and eliminate pesticide restrictions governing clean water, environmental impacts, and endangered species. Ask them to support the transition to organic agricultural practices. https://ow.ly/hpxG50Yfs7K
P.S. If a member is on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, the letter you submit on our Action form will automatically adjust the language by recognizing their Committee membership.
P.P.S. Please see our Action form for a link to contact info for members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee!