🚨TODAY: Urge US Senate Ag Committee to Vote NO on the Farm Bill!

On Thursday, August 6th, Senators in the Agriculture Committee will vote on the Farm Bill. The latest GOP draft of the Agricultural Act of 2026 prioritizes chemical company and Big Ag interests over the needs of farmers, public health, biodiversity, and climate action.

Contact Sen. Schiff (D-CA), in the Ag Committee, and urge him to:

1. Support 2 amendments by Sen. Booker (D-NJ):

To remove terrible pesticide provisions (Sec 10201, 10203, 10207, 10209).
To effectively overturn recent terrible glyphosate Supreme Court ruling and reassert the public’s right to sue pesticide manufacturers for failing to warn consumers of potential health hazards.

2. Reject Senate Farm Bill due to horrible pesticide provisions and failure of Senate Farm Bill Draft to support the type of biodiverse, agroecological, regenerative organic farming we need.

📞 Call and make sure to identify yourself as a constituent:

(202) 224-3841

✍🏽 Write your message:

Use this Action Form

Is DPR doing its job?

Join us on August 11 in Sacramento

We encourage you to attend the Joint Oversight Hearing by the Senate Environmental Quality and Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committees where legislators will examine whether the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is meeting its mission to protect public health and the environment.

Putting Public Protection First:

Is California’s Pesticide Program Achieving its Purpose?

August 11, 2026

1:30 pm–3:30 pm

Capitol Annex Swing Space Room 1100

1021 O Street, Sacramento [view map]

CPR Co-Director Angel Garcia, and CPR Steering Committee members Anne Katten (Pesticide and Work Health and Safety Project Director, CRLAF) and Bianca Lopez (Co-Founder, VIP) will be testifying.

There will be opportunity for Public Comment.

Contact your Legislator and ask them and their staff to attend or watch the oversight hearing. Tell them you’re concerned that DPR is not doing enough to protect public health and the environment.

More info to follow here

Inaugural Scientific Prioritization and Review Committee (SPARC) Meeting

DPR will hold its first meeting of the newly created Scientific Prioritization and Review Committee (SPARC). The committee will provide a space for scientific discussion and increase public transparency around the department’s work to identify pesticides for continuous reevaluation and possible mitigation actions.

The purpose of this meeting is to introduce SPARC members, share updates on current department priorities, and explain the prioritization process, including ways for the public to get involved.

Friday, August 7, 2026

10:00 am – 12:30 pm

CalEPA Headquarters

1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 [view map]

and Virtual [zoom]

Access Meeting Agenda and Presentation here. There will be opportunity for public comment.

Our recommendations:

DPR should review chemicals by class, not one at time.
We don’t need DPR or SPARC to spend more time identifying priority pesticides when OEHHA has already adopted a strong list of 124 pesticides of special concern, and all organophosphates and other cholinesterase inhibitors should be included.
We don't want further delays by endless reviews. DPR must use a precautionary approach and act now to reduce and phase out the most hazardous pesticide classes.

PFAS Bill (AB 1603) in Senate Appropriations Committee

AB 1603 (Shultz) is now in Appropriations after advancing through the Senate Environmental Quality and Agriculture Committees, but the bill has been weakened by industry-driven amendments. Key provisions were removed, including the phaseout of PFAS pesticides and their designation as restricted materials. The bill now only requires DPR to report PFAS pesticide use, while still allowing new registrations and no future ban.

PFAS pesticides are not essential. Yet about 2.5 million pounds of these toxic “forever chemicals” are used each year in California, where they are linked to serious health harms and persist in the environment.

Still, identifying and quantifying PFAS pesticides is an important step toward greater awareness for growers, regulators, and consumers alike.

Urge your Senator to track PFAS pesticides