Shaheen, Collins, Dexter, Lawler Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Help Clinicians Provide Care for Patients Exposed to PFAS

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) and Representatives Maxine Dexter, M.D. (D-OR-03) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) are introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to better protect the health of Americans who have been exposed to toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Better Care for PFAS Patients Act would ensure the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Research (ATSDR) regularly assesses and updates clinical guidance regarding the health effects from exposure to PFAS.

“As we learn more about the health effects of PFAS, it’s imperative that we take steps to help protect Americans who have high exposure to these toxic chemicals,” said Senator Shaheen. “I have long fought to address PFAS contamination in New Hampshire so I’m proud to build on those efforts by introducing bipartisan legislation that would ensure health care providers have the most up-to-date information and guidance in order to best care for their patients. Finding new ways to support those impacted by PFAS will continue to be one of my top bipartisan priorities in Congress.”

“PFAS and other harmful contaminants have been discovered in private water systems in Maine and across the country, and contamination will only become more evident as testing becomes more readily available,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill would require the CDC to continuously update clinical guidance on the health effects of PFAS, helping to ensure that medical professionals and citizens have access to the latest information on these substances.”

“The government’s responsibility is to promote the health and safety of our people. As a physician who has cared for people who struggle with disease and disability due to exposures, I am honored to help bring this policy forward,” said Dexter. “This bipartisan legislation is an important step to toward that goal by ensuring communities across the country have the best available data and guidance on PFAS health exposure risks.”

“Communities across the country deserve clear, science-based answers about PFAS health exposure risks. This bipartisan bill ensures doctors and public health officials have up-to-date guidance through regular assessments and research-based recommendations, helping patients get better care and families protect their health,” said Congressman Lawler (NY-17).

Specifically, the Better Care for PFAS Patients Act would:

• Require the ATSDR to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) to assess the health effects of PFAS and formulate clinical recommendations within two years of enactment;

• Direct NASEM to update its assessment of PFAS health effects and clinical guidance every five years or more frequently as determined by ATSDR; and

• Ensure ATSDR issues its own clinical guidance on addressing the health effects of PFAS within five years of enactment and update that guidance every five years or more frequently as determined by ATSDR.

The legislation has been endorsed by the Environmental Working Group, Southern Environmental Law Center, Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water, Testing for Pease and the National PFAS Contamination Coalition.

The Better Care for PFAS Patients Act can be read HERE.

Shaheen leads efforts in the Senate to uncover the health effects related to PFAS contamination and has long worked to get clinicians guidance on testing and protocols based on recommendations made by NASEM in a 2022 report. Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and ATSDR provided clinicians with the first updated guidance since 2019. Shaheen also introduced bipartisan legislation in 2020, the Physician Education for PFAS Health Impacts Act, to establish a grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services to fund the creation of training materials for physicians on the health effects of PFAS and best practices for caring for patients who have been exposed to PFAS. Key provisions of Shaheen’s legislation were included in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 government funding legislation that was signed into law. Shaheen also recently responded to the release of the first Pease Health Study Report – a first-in-the-nation study she helped establish to better understand the impacts of PFAS in drinking water. Shaheen also secured funding in the committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025 for the PFAS health impact study.

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