# Understanding the Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021

Bees and other pollinators are in serious trouble, and this bill takes direct action to protect them. The core problem is that certain pesticides—particularly a class of chemicals called neonicotinoids—are poisoning the insects that pollinate about one-third of the food we eat, including almonds, apples, blueberries, and countless vegetables. Beekeepers have been losing 35 to 46 percent of their hives every year, and wild bee populations have declined by 90 percent in some cases. This bill aims to stop the use of these harmful pesticides and create a new system to evaluate whether other pesticides threaten pollinators before they're approved for use.

The bill takes two main approaches. First, it immediately bans nine specific neonicotinoid pesticides—chemicals with names like imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam—by canceling their registrations and prohibiting the sale of existing supplies. These are the same pesticides that Canada and the European Union have already restricted or banned because they harm bees and contaminate waterways. Second, the bill creates a Pollinator Protection Board made up of scientists, beekeepers, farmers, and environmental experts who will review all pesticides before they're approved or used. This board will have the power to block pesticides that pose unacceptable risks to pollinators, and the EPA must follow their recommendations.

The practical impact would be significant for farmers, gardeners, and anyone who eats food that depends on pollinators. Farmers would need to find alternative pest management methods, which could involve using different pesticides, changing farming practices, or accepting some crop losses. However, the bill recognizes that some emergency situations—like protecting endangered species or controlling invasive pests—might still require limited use of these chemicals, but only with special approval from the new board. For consumers, the goal is to protect the long-term health of pollinator populations so that food production remains stable and affordable. The bill also requires the government to monitor native bee populations annually and report back to Congress on their health.

Saving America’s Pollinators Act of 2021

Blumenauer, Earl

Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021 This bill addresses the use of certain pesticides and the health and status of native bees and other pollinators. First, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. All active ingredients and pesticide products that contain one or more specified neonicotinoid pesticides must be deemed to generally cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. Under the bill, the registration of all uses of neonicotinoid pesticides must be immediately and permanently canceled. The EPA must revoke any tolerance or exemption that allows the presence of a neonicotinoid pesticide, or any pesticide chemical residue that results from neonicotinoid pesticide use, in or on food. The continued sale or use of existing stocks of neonicotinoid pesticides is prohibited, and the EPA may not register any such pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. Finally, a state or federal agency may be granted an exemption to use neonicotinoid pesticides if the board votes that use of the pesticide is warranted (1) in an emergency situation to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.