PFAS Regulatory and Legislative Efforts Continue at Federal Level

The House is expected to vote in the coming days on defense authorization legislation that will include some PFAS provisions. North Carolina’s Science Advisory Board is scheduled to provide advice on developing a human health reference dose for the emerging PFAS known as PFMOAA and water quality aquatic life criteria for two better-known PFAS.

The House is expected to take up a compromise version of the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) following negotiations to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation. The compromise bill could be filed as soon as Dec. 5, according to staff, with the House Rules Committee scheduled to consider the bill along with other legislation at a Dec. 5 meeting. The compromise bill is likely to contain non-controversial provisions related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) originally included in the Senate version, such as the creation of a publicly accessible database of Pentagon research on the health effects from PFAS exposure, the development of alternatives to PFAS-containing firefighting foams used by the military, and the transfer $20 million from the Defense Department (DOD) to the Department of Health and Human Services for ongoing nationwide monitoring of PFAS exposures and risks in communities near military bases.