PFAS deregulation bill dies in committee, Bauer thanks those who opposed bill

Today, Feb. 26, the Senate Committee on Environmental Affairs did not call down House Bill 1399, a bill that seeks to carve out thousands of PFAS chemicals from being defined as such, effectively exempting those chemicals from any future regulation. Since HB 1399 was not granted a committee hearing today, the final meeting of this committee, the bill is no longer moving forward in the legislature at this time.

State Rep. Maureen Bauer (D-South Bend) issued the following statement in regard to HB 1399 dying in committee: 

“To say I am relieved that this bill is no longer moving forward would be an understatement. House Bill 1399 would have established an unprecedented regulatory carve out for chemicals known to be harmful to human health. While states across the nation are taking steps to protect their citizens from harmful PFAS, Indiana was on track to be the lone state trying to take a step backwards.

“After nearly 2 hours of committee testimony, including many experts who opposed the bill, today’s decision is a victory for the wellbeing of Hoosiers. I celebrate with cautious optimism and remain vigilant about the possibility of this language returning. No matter what happens, I will continue to fight against any measure that allows the deception of consumers, particularly when it comes to the use of harmful chemicals.”