California, the nation's largest agricultural producer, is now required to track the use of PFAS — or "forever chemicals" — in pesticides. Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation mandating the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation to identify PFAS-containing pesticides in its public reporting database and monitor statewide use trends. The state grows nearly half of the US's vegetables and over three-quarters of its fruits and nuts, making the scope of potential exposure significant.

The law is a scaled-back version of an earlier bill that would have outright banned new PFAS-containing pesticides — a provision that faced heavy opposition from farm groups. Environmental advocates are framing the tracking requirement as a crucial first step, arguing that better data will ultimately drive stronger action.

Key Takeaways:

• PFAS exposure has been linked to cancer, high cholesterol, and immune system effects, per the CDC
• California's Department of Pesticide Regulation must now publicly flag and trend-track PFAS pesticide use
• The original bill sought to ban new PFAS pesticides but was scaled back due to agricultural industry pushback

Why it matters: PFAS chemicals are persistent in the environment and the human body, and their presence in agricultural pesticides raises serious public health concerns. By mandating transparency and data collection, California is laying the groundwork for evidence-based regulation — a model other states may follow.