The Paraquat Prevention Act
For decades, researchers have investigated whether certain environmental exposures may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease. One chemical that has received particular attention is paraquat, a commercial herbicide used in agriculture. Now, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation that would seek to remove paraquat from the U.S. market.
On June 18, 2026, Representatives Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, and Chellie Pingree, a Maine Democrat, introduced the Paraquat Prevention Act (H.R. 9357). The bill would cancel registered uses of paraquat, prohibit its future re-registration, revoke certain food-residue tolerances, and prohibit the sale and use of existing stocks if enacted. The legislation is based in part on concerns about research linking paraquat exposure with Parkinson’s disease. However, the bill is still in the legislative process, and introducing legislation does not mean that a nationwide ban is currently in effect.
What Is Paraquat?
Paraquat is an herbicide used to control weeds in agricultural settings. Because exposure can occur in occupational and environmental settings, concerns about its potential health effects extend beyond the people who directly apply the chemical. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder involving the loss or dysfunction of dopamine-producing nerve cells. Researchers continue to investigate the combination of genetic, environmental, and other factors that may influence an individual’s risk of developing the disease. Paraquat has become one of the environmental exposures of interest in that research. Importantly, an association between exposure to paraquat and Parkinson’s does not mean that everyone exposed to the chemical will develop the disease. Parkinson’s is a complex condition with multiple potential contributing factors.
What Would the Paraquat Prevention Act Do?
If enacted, H.R. 9357 would make several significant changes to how paraquat is regulated in the United States.
Among other provisions, the bill would:
Cancel the existing registrations that permit paraquat use.
Revoke tolerances or exemptions allowing paraquat residues on food.
Prohibit the sale and use of existing paraquat stocks.
Prevent paraquat from being registered again in the future. GGovInfo+1
In practical terms, the legislation is designed to eliminate legal paraquat use in the United States rather than simply impose additional restrictions on how the herbicide is applied.
The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the committees with jurisdiction over its provisions. As of now, it remains proposed legislation rather than federal law.
Why Is Paraquat Being Discussed in Connection With Parkinson’s?
The potential relationship between paraquat exposure and Parkinson’s disease has been studied for years. Some epidemiological research has reported an increased risk of Parkinson’s among people exposed to paraquat. The findings have contributed to continued scientific interest in whether certain pesticide exposures may play a role in Parkinson’s development. That research does not establish that paraquat is the sole cause of Parkinson’s disease. Instead, it adds to a larger body of evidence examining environmental factors that could influence disease risk. This distinction is important. A person can be exposed to paraquat without developing Parkinson’s, and someone diagnosed with Parkinson’s may have had no known exposure to the herbicide. The scientific question is more complicated: could exposure to certain environmental chemicals increase the likelihood of developing Parkinson’s in some people? Researchers are still working to answer that question.
How Could Reducing Exposure Affect Parkinson’s Prevention?
There is currently no guaranteed way to prevent Parkinson’s disease. However, reducing exposure to potentially harmful environmental substances is one area researchers and public health officials continue to investigate. If an environmental exposure contributes to disease risk, reducing that exposure could theoretically reduce the number of people who eventually develop the condition. Establishing whether that is actually the case requires continued research. This is one reason paraquat has become part of the broader conversation about Parkinson’s prevention and environmental health.
What Is Happening at the State Level?
Federal legislation is not the only effort focused on paraquat. Vermont became the first U.S. state to enact a statewide ban on paraquat in 2026. Other states have also considered legislation addressing the herbicide. State-level action can create different rules from one state to another, while federal legislation could establish a single national standard. The proposed federal bill would therefore represent a much broader change than individual state restrictions if it were ultimately enacted.
A Bipartisan Proposal
The Paraquat Prevention Act was introduced by lawmakers from different political parties and different regions of the country. Rep. Luna, a Republican from Florida, and Rep. Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, are the bill's lead sponsors. The legislation has also drawn attention from Parkinson’s organizations and other groups concerned about pesticide exposure. The involvement of organizations such as the Parkinson’s Foundation and the American Parkinson Disease Association reflects the broader role that environmental health has taken in discussions about Parkinson’s policy. At the same time, support for the legislation from advocacy organizations should be distinguished from the status of the bill itself: H.R. 9357 is a proposal that would still need to move through the legislative process before it could become law.
What Happens Next?
Introducing a bill is only the beginning of the federal legislative process. H.R. 9357 has been referred to the House Agriculture Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Its provisions would need to be considered as the bill moves through Congress. Until Congress passes the legislation and it is enacted, paraquat remains federally permitted for certain agricultural uses subject to existing regulations. For farmers, farmworkers, rural residents, people with Parkinson’s, and their families, the debate is likely to remain closely connected to a larger question: how much can reducing environmental exposures contribute to preventing Parkinson’s disease?
What Does This Mean for People With Parkinson’s?
The proposed legislation does not change the treatment or diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease today. Instead, it represents part of a larger effort to understand whether environmental exposures can be reduced as a potential avenue for disease prevention. For people already living with Parkinson’s, the bill is a reminder that researchers and policymakers are continuing to examine factors beyond genetics and aging that may influence Parkinson’s risk. It is also important not to assume that an individual's Parkinson’s disease was caused by paraquat exposure. Current research cannot make that determination for an individual person. What the research does show is that environmental factors remain an important area of investigation, and paraquat is one of the chemicals receiving significant attention.
The Bigger Picture
Parkinson’s disease is a complicated condition, and there is unlikely to be one explanation for every case. The proposed Paraquat Prevention Act reflects growing interest in the possibility that reducing exposure to certain environmental hazards could become part of a broader Parkinson’s prevention strategy. Whether the legislation advances or becomes law remains to be determined. For now, the proposal has brought renewed attention to paraquat, pesticide exposure, and the ongoing scientific effort to understand how environmental factors may influence Parkinson’s disease. As research continues, these questions will remain important, not only for people already living with Parkinson’s, but also for future generations who may benefit from a better understanding of how the disease develops. I also intentionally changed the original advocacy/“take action” framing into a more neutral informational article. That makes it better suited to a general health blog and avoids presenting a proposed law as though it has already been enacted.
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