Bill > S3623

This bill, the Research for Healthy Soils Act, amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to include research on microplastics (plastic or plastic-coated particles less than 5 millimeters in size) in land-applied biosolids on farmland as a high-priority research and extension area. The bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide research and extension grants to conduct surveys and collect data on microplastic concentration, develop and analyze wastewater treatment techniques to filter out or biodegrade microplastics, analyze the impact of microplastics on agricultural crops and soil health, and better understand the fate, residence time, and transport of microplastics on farmland. Additionally, the bill reauthorizes high-priority research and extension initiatives under the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 until 2028.