Once again, as in the past several years, it appears that Congress will consider amending the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). A coalition of environmental groups, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council, has suggested legion amendments ("The Federal Pesticide Reform Act of 1985") which would largely rewirte the law. Senator Proxmire (D. Wis.) introduced S. 309 to amend FIFRA on January 29, patterned after the environmentalists' proposal.¹

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drafted a less ambitious set of proposed amendments, but these were quashed by the Office of Management and Budget. Nevertheless, Congressman Bedell (D. Iowa), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Research and Foreign Agriculture of the House Agriculture Committee, has made known his desire to assemble a bill bassed on the EPA draft.² Congressman Heftell (D. Hawaii) has introduced the "Pesticide Import and Export Act of 1985," H.R. 1416, which would amend the export provisions of FIFRA.³