Congress Considers Broad PFAS Legislation Targeting Nonessential Uses And Environmental Releases

Congress is considering legislation that could significantly expand federal regulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), particularly in consumer products. If enacted, the legislation could move toward a national framework that partially aligns with and extends beyond certain recent state-level PFAS-in-products programs.

Legislation introduced by Senator Durbin — the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act of 2026 (S. 4153) — together with a House companion bill introduced by Representative McCollum (H.R. 8016), would establish a comprehensive program to phase out so-called "nonessential" uses of PFAS, restrict PFAS releases from manufacturing and use operations, and prioritize remediation of contaminated environmental media . The proposal reflects federal legislative momentum to address what are presumed to be risks associated with PFAS in consumer-use products, while adopting a more structured and expansive approach than increasingly common state