[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2692 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2692

 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
take certain actions related to pesticides that may affect pollinators, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 16, 2013

 Mr. Conyers (for himself and Mr. Blumenauer) introduced the following 
        bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
take certain actions related to pesticides that may affect pollinators, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Saving America's Pollinators Act of 
2013''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

            (1) Pollination services are a vital part of agricultural 
        production, valued at over $125,000,000,000 globally and worth 
        $20,000,000,000 to $30,000,000,000 in agricultural production 
        annually in the United States.
            (2) One-third of food produced in North America depends on 
        pollination by honey bees, including nearly 95 varieties of 
        fruits such as almonds, avocados, cranberries, and apples.
            (3) Over the past several years, documented incidents of 
        colony collapse disorder have been at a record high, with some 
        beekeepers repeatedly losing 100 percent of their operations.
            (4) During the winter beginning in 2012 and ending in 2013, 
        United States beekeepers, on average, lost 45.1 percent of the 
        colonies they operate.
            (5) According to scientists of the Department of 
        Agriculture, current estimates of the survivorship of honey bee 
        colonies show they are too low to be able to meet the 
        pollination demands of United States agricultural crops.
            (6) Scientists have linked the use of systemic 
        neonicotinoid insecticides to the rapid decline of pollinators 
        and to the deterioration of pollinator health.
            (7) Neonicotinoids cause sublethal effects including 
        impaired foraging and feeding behavior, disorientation, 
        weakened immunity, delayed larval development, and increased 
        susceptibility to viruses, diseases, and parasites and numerous 
        studies have also demonstrated acute, lethal effects from the 
        application of neonicotinoid insecticides.
            (8) Recent science has demonstrated that a single corn 
        kernel coated with a neonicotinoid is toxic enough to kill a 
        songbird.
            (9) In June 2013, over 50,000 bumblebees were killed as a 
        direct result of exposure to a neonicotinoid applied to Linden 
        trees for cosmetic purposes.
            (10) In January 2013, the European Food Safety Authority 
        determined that the most widely used neonicotinoids pose 
        unacceptable hazards to bees, prompting the European Union to 
        suspend their use on agricultural crops.

SEC. 3. URGENT REGULATORY RESPONSE FOR HONEY BEE AND POLLINATOR 
              PROTECTION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency shall suspend the registration of imidacloprid, 
clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotafuran, and any other members of the 
nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides to the extent such 
insecticide is registered, conditionally or otherwise, under the 
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et 
seq.) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment 
on bee attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the Administrator 
has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause 
unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators based on--
            (1) an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed 
        scientific evidence on whether the use or uses of such 
        neonicotinoids cause unreasonable adverse effects on 
        pollinators, including native bees, honey bees, birds, bats, 
        and other species of beneficial insects; and
            (2) a completed field study that meets the criteria 
        required by the Administrator and evaluates residues, including 
        residue build-up after repeated annual application, chronic 
        low-dose exposure, cumulative effects of multiple chemical 
        exposures, and any other protocol determined to be necessary by 
        the Administrator to protect managed and native pollinators.
    (b) Conditions on Certain Pesticides Registrations.--
Notwithstanding section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a), for purposes of the protection of 
honey bees, other pollinators, and beneficial insects, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall not issue 
any new registrations, conditional or otherwise, for any seed 
treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee attractive 
plants, trees, and cereals under such Act until the Administrator has 
made the determination described in subsection (a), based on an 
evaluation described in subsection (a)(1) and a completed field study 
described in subsection (a)(2), with respect to such insecticide.
    (c) Monitoring of Native Bees.--The Secretary of the Interior, in 
coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, shall, for purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term 
viability of native bees and other pollinators of agricultural crops, 
horticultural plants, wild plants, and other plants--
            (1) regularly monitor the health and population status of 
        native bees, including the status of native bees in 
        agricultural and non-agricultural habitats and areas of 
        ornamental plants, residential areas, and landscaped areas;
            (2) identify the scope and likely causes of unusual native 
        bee mortality; and
            (3) beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act and each year thereafter, submit to 
        Congress, and make available to the public, a report on such 
        health and population status.
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