PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jul 29, 2025
Research for Healthy Soils Act
This bill includes research on the agricultural impacts of microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland as a Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension area and reauthorizes other research and extension activities. Microplastic is a plastic or plastic-coated particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size.
The bill specifically allows grants for carrying out or enhancing research on microplastics (e.g., through the development or analysis of wastewater treatment techniques to filter out or biodegrade microplastics from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes).
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Further, the bill reauthorizes USDA grants to support competitive specialized research and extension activities, including high-priority areas, through FY2031. The bill also specifically reauthorizes through FY2031
the Pulse Crop Health Initiative;
the Comprehensive Food Safety Training Network;
pollinator protection research and extension grants;
increased USDA capacity and infrastructure to address and conduct research on colony collapse disorder and other pollinator issues; and
a USDA-conducted nationwide honey bee pest, pathogen, health, and population status surveillance program.
People & committees
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · D–OR
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 16, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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