Rep. Nancy Mace Introduces Bill to Clear the Way for Public Release of Pesticide Data
WASHINGTON, D.C., (Sept. 30, 2026) – Today, Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) introduced the Pesticide Data Transparency Act, legislation which removes a legal barrier keeping the most dangerous category of pesticide use from public view.
Companies applying restricted-use pesticides (RUP) are required to track their use, in recognition RUPs are the most toxic and dangerous chemicals available on the general market. Under current law, certain provisions under Section 1491 of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 have been interpreted to prevent public disclosure of existing RUP usage data if it would directly or indirectly reveal the identity of individual producers. The Pesticide Data Transparency Act strikes this restriction, allowing the data to be made available to the public.
"American families deserve to know when dangerous chemicals are sprayed in their communities," said Congresswoman Mace. "For more than 30 years, federal law has kept this data locked away from the very people living next to it. Government agencies already collect it. The public should be able to see it. This bill tears down the barrier to make sure the EPA cannot drag its feet."
In addition to lifting the restriction, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to report to Congress on the records and data previously barred from release and recommend how to make them public in a timely manner. The legislation also prevents the EPA from issuing rules or guidance which could block or significantly delay public disclosure.
Under the Pesticide Data Transparency Act, the bill would:
- Strike the provision of federal law currently interpreted as a barrier to government agencies from releasing pesticide data which could identify individual producers or the locations where pesticides were applied;
- Require the EPA to report to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works within 180 days on data previously barred from public release;
- Direct the EPA to include recommendations for compiling and publicly disclosing the data in a timely manner; and
- Prohibit the EPA from issuing, implementing, or enforcing any regulation, guidance document, or interpretive rule which could prevent or significantly delay public disclosure.
This bill builds on Rep. Mace's ongoing work to bring accountability and transparency to pesticide use, including the Pesticide Harm Accountability Act and the SOUND Pesticide Research Act.
SEE BILL TEXT BELOW:
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