The House of Representatives and the Senate passed the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act (PRIA 5) reauthorization included in the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2023. First passed in 2004, the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act set up a fee-for-service program for pesticide manufacturers that funds part of EPA’s pesticide registration program.

“Reauthorizing PRIA has been a priority for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment), as we work to strengthen the federal pesticide regulatory process and ensure our industry can continue to reliably deliver the pest control and plant health solutions necessary for protecting public health and safety, maintaining green spaces and infrastructure, and keeping shared spaces pest-free,” said Megan Provost, RISE president.

PRIA provides necessary resources to the EPA’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). The legislation will supplement annual appropriations for OPP with additional funding from industry-paid fees that support pesticide registration, registration review and other regulatory actions to promote product innovation.

The funding, coupled with a variety of process and information technology improvements, will allow OPP to increase staffing and better meet registration and registration review time frames.

The bill will also increase funding for training programs and require Spanish translations of pesticide labels. PRIA 5 passed one year early, before the expiration of PRIA 4 on Sept. 30, 2023, takes effect retroactively on Oct. 1, 2022, and expires in five years on Sept. 30, 2027.