California lawmakers have approved a bill that could help strengthen regulations on the use of paraquat, a powerful herbicide linked to Parkinson's disease and other serious health problems.
Assembly Bill 1963 was introduced in January by Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), and originally sought to end the use of paraquat in California beginning in January 2026.
However, the final legislation has been amended so that it will now require the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete a reevaluation of the herbicide by January 1, 2029, and determine whether to maintain, cancel or suspend its registration, or create new restrictions. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 23 to 8 and now awaits Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.
Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries. Many environmental and advocacy groups had hoped for a complete ban in California, but said the bill still marks a step forward by speeding up its safety review, a process that can sometimes take decades.
“We are encouraged by the progress being made in California, which is setting an example for other states to act on when it comes to assessing the safety and toxicity of chemicals with long-term neurological and other implications,” read a statement from Julia Pitcher, director of state government relations for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. “We strongly urge passage of this legislation and look forward to Governor Newsom signing it into law soon.”
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes paraquat as highly toxic (noting that “one sip can kill”), but California remains one of the country’s top users of the chemical. The state sprays millions of pounds of it annually on crops like almonds, grapes and cotton.
A Report of the Working Group on the Environment A study released earlier this year found that the state’s farmworkers and low-income Latinos, in particular, are disproportionately exposed to paraquat in their communities, with more than 5.3 million pounds sprayed in Kern County alone between 2017 and 2021.
The bill faced opposition from a coalition of opponents that included pesticide manufacturers, chemical industry trade associations and agricultural trade organizations.
By the time it reached the legislature, including the Senate Agriculture Committee, it had already lost much of its steam, said Bill Allayaud, California government affairs director at EWG.
“It’s still a good bill, because without it, DPR probably wouldn’t do anything,” he said. “We hope the governor signs it and agrees that this is at the top of the list of things we don’t want people exposed to, especially farmworkers.”
Paraquat has been the subject of thousands of lawsuits from people seeking damages related to exposure to the product, including people who say it caused Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement.
The legislative analysis of the bill notes that at least 10 epidemiological studies have linked paraquat exposure to Parkinson's disease, including a 2019 meta-analysis of 13 studies that found exposure to the herbicide was associated with a 1.64-fold increase in the risk of the disease.
However, other studies have not found a clear link and the product's makers continue to reject any claims of a connection.
In a statement, Friedman said AB 1963 will have “very real results.”
“I’m pleased with the outcome of the bill,” Friedman said. “We never thought we would get a complete ban through the Legislature, but we had to push hard.”
He noted that the Legislature provided the Department of Pesticide Regulation with additional funding this year with a requirement that the agency conduct more re-evaluations of toxic chemicals.
“I have every confidence that if AB 1963 passes, DPR will conduct a thorough re-evaluation of paraquat and either ban it entirely or impose further restrictions on its use,” Friedman said.
Advocacy groups remain committed to bringing the chemical under control.
This week, EWG launched a campaign with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to urge President Biden and the EPA to ban paraquat nationwide. The federal agency will have until January 17 to make a decision.
There are some reasons for optimism: Last month the EPA issued a rare emergency order to halt the use of another herbicide, dachthal, which poses a significant risk to fetuses.
