The House Agriculture Committee held a Farm Bill markup in early March. Now, the bill is heading to the House floor.

Unfortunately, the bill still contains many alarming pesticide sections that will not make our communities or farms safer or healthier. With lack of robust support for small and regenerative farmers, failure to resolve funding cuts to the SNAP program, permission for more pesticide pollution, and stripping of our rights to restrict pesticides and hold manufacturers accountable for harm, this Farm Bill does not meet the moment.

Some of what is at stake for pesticide protections, our health, and our environment:

• Section 10205 gives chemical companies immunity from lawsuits. Like what we saw in the NC Farm Act last year, this would take away the ability for people to hold chemical companies accountable for pesticide harms in state courts.

• Section 10206 takes away current and future state and local pesticide protections. Communities must preserve the right to protect themselves from pesticides.

• Section 10207 removes safeguards around pesticide pollution and undermines current pesticide permitting protections in major environmental laws.

All Members of the House of Representatives are key targets right now.