text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Saving America's Pollinators Act of 
  2015''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      Congress finds the following:
              (1) Pollination services are a vital part of agricultural 
          production, valued at over $125,000,000,000 globally. According 
          to a 2014 Presidential memorandum, pollinators provide for an 
          annual amount of $24,000,000,000 to the economy of the United 
          States and honey bees account for $15,000,000,000 of such 
          amount. Similarly, pollination services of native pollinators, 
          such as bumblebees, squash bees, and mason bees, contribute 
          over $3,000,000,000 to the United States agricultural economy 
          and are estimated to contribute between $937,000,000 and 
          $2,400,000,000 to the economy of California alone.
              (2) One-third of food produced in North America--including 
          nearly 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables such as almonds, 
          avocados, cranberries, and apples--depends on pollination by 
          bees.
              (3) Over the past several years, documented incidents of 
          colony collapse disorder and other forms of excess bee 
          mortality have been at a record high, with some beekeepers 
          repeatedly losing 100 percent of their operations. The national 
          honey crop reported in 2013 was the lowest in many decades.
              (4) A recent national survey sponsored by the Federal 
          Government indicates that United States beekeepers experienced 
          a 45.2 percent annual mortality rate with their hives during 
          the period beginning in April 2012 and ending in March 2013. 
          During the winter of 2013-2014, two-thirds of beekeepers 
          experienced loss rates greater than the established acceptable 
          winter mortality rate.
              (5) According to scientists at the Department of 
          Agriculture, current losses of honey bee colonies are too high 
          to confidently ensure the United States will be able to meet 
          the pollination demands for agricultural crops.
              (6) Native pollinators, such as bumble bees, have also 
          suffered alarming population declines. There are currently more 
          than 40 pollinator species federally-listed as threatened or 
          endangered, and most recently, the iconic monarch butterfly has 
          declined by 90 percent.
              (7) Scientists have linked the use of a certain class of 
          systemic insecticides, known as neonicotinoids, to the rapid 
          decline of pollinators and to the deterioration of pollinator 
          health.
              (8) Neonicotinoids cause sublethal effects, including 
          impaired foraging and feeding behavior, disorientation, 
          weakened immunity, delayed larval development, and increased 
          susceptibility to viruses, diseases, and parasites. Numerous 
          reports also document acute, lethal effects from the 
          application of neonicotinoids.
              (9) Conclusions from a recent global review of the impacts 
          of systemic pesticides, primarily neonicotinoids, warn that 
          they are causing significant damage to a wide range of 
          beneficial invertebrate species, are a key factor in the 
          decline of bees, and pose a global threat to biodiversity and 
          ecosystem services. Another recent global review documented 
          high levels of freshwater contamination.
              (10) Science has demonstrated that a single corn kernel 
          coated with a neonicotinoid is toxic enough to kill a songbird. 
          Peer-reviewed research from the Netherlands has shown that the 
          most severe bird population declines occurred in those areas 
          where neonicotinoid pollution was highest. Starlings, tree 
          sparrows, and swallows were among the most affected.
              (11) In January 2013, the European Food Safety Authority 
          determined that the most widely used neonicotinoids pose 
          unacceptable hazards to bees, prompting the European Union to 
          suspend their use on agricultural crops.
              (12) In June 2013, over 50,000 bumblebees were killed as a 
          direct result of exposure to a neonicotinoid applied to linden 
          trees for cosmetic purposes.
              (13) In February 2014, Eugene, Oregon, voted to ban the use 
          of neonicotinoid pesticides on city property. Similar bans and 
          restrictions have been enacted in Thurston County, Spokane, and 
          Seattle, Washington, and Skagway, Alaska.
              (14) In June 2014, a Presidential memorandum established a 
          Pollinator Health Task Force after identifying pollinator 
          decline as a threat to the sustainability of food production 
          systems, the agricultural economy, and the health of the 
          environment in the United States.
              (15) In July 2014, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
          Service announced plans to phase out neonicotinoid pesticides 
          in all national wildlife refuges across the United States by 
          January 2016. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service 
          recognized that the prophylactic use of neonicotinoids for 
          agricultural purposes harms a wide range of non-target species 
          and is therefore inconsistent with the management policy of the 
          United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
              (16) In October 2014, an assessment by the Environmental 
          Protection Agency found that neonicotinoid seed coatings 
          provide little benefit to overall soybean crop yield. 
          Additional studies determined that in approximately 80 to 90 
          percent of row crop uses, neonicotinoid coatings are 
          unnecessary. The prophylactic overuse of neonicotinoids 
          violates the fundamental principles of integrated pest 
          management.
              (17) In November 2014, the Province of Ontario announced 
          the province will move to restrict the use of neonicotinoid-
          coated corn and soybean seeds because of the broad harms from 
          their overuse, with a goal of 80-percent reduction by 2017.
  
  SEC. 3. URGENT REGULATORY RESPONSE FOR HONEY BEE AND POLLINATOR 
                PROTECTION.
  
      (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental 
  Protection Agency shall suspend the registration of imidacloprid, 
  clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotafuran, and any other members of the 
  nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides to the extent such 
  insecticide is registered, conditionally or otherwise, under the 
  Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et 
  seq.) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment 
  on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the Administrator 
  has made a determination that such insecticide will not cause 
  unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators based on--
              (1) an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed 
          scientific evidence on whether the use or uses of such 
          neonicotinoids cause unreasonable adverse effects on 
          pollinators, including native bees, honey bees, birds, bats, 
          and other species of beneficial insects; and
              (2) a completed field study that meets the criteria 
          required by the Administrator and evaluates residues, including 
          residue buildup after repeated annual application, chronic low-
          dose exposure, cumulative effects of multiple chemical 
          exposures, and any other protocol determined to be necessary by 
          the Administrator to protect managed and native pollinators.
      (b) Conditions on Certain Pesticides Registrations.--
  Notwithstanding section 3 of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and 
  Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136a), for purposes of the protection of 
  honey bees, other pollinators, and beneficial insects, the 
  Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall not issue 
  any new registrations, conditional or otherwise, for any seed 
  treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive 
  plants, trees, and cereals under such Act until the Administrator has 
  made the determination described in subsection (a), based on an 
  evaluation described in subsection (a)(1) and a completed field study 
  described in subsection (a)(2), with respect to such insecticide.
      (c) Monitoring of Native Bees.--The Secretary of the Interior, in 
  coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
  Agency, shall, for purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term 
  viability of native bees and other pollinators of agricultural crops, 
  horticultural plants, wild plants, and other plants--
              (1) regularly monitor the health and population status of 
          native bees, including the status of native bees in 
          agricultural and nonagricultural habitats and areas of 
          ornamental plants, residential areas, and landscaped areas;
              (2) identify the scope and likely causes of unusual native 
          bee mortality; and
              (3) beginning not later than 180 days after the date of the 
          enactment of this Act and each year thereafter, submit to 
          Congress, and make available to the public, a report on such 
          health and population status.
target: Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2015 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to suspend the registration of members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides that are registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) for use in seed treatment, soil application, or foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals until the EPA determines that the insecticides will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators. The determination must be based on:   an evaluation of the published and peer-reviewed scientific evidence on whether the use or uses of those neonicotinoids cause unreasonable adverse effects on pollinators, including native bees, honeybees, birds, bats, and other species of beneficial insects; and  a completed field study that meets the criteria required by the EPA and evaluates residues, chronic low-dose exposure, and cumulative effects of multiple chemical exposures.  The EPA may not issue new registrations of the neonicotinoid pesticides for any seed treatment, soil application, and foliar treatment on bee-attractive plants, trees, and cereals under FIFRA until it has made the determination with respect to the insecticide. For purposes of protecting and ensuring the long-term viability of native bees and other pollinators, the Department of the Interior must: (1) regularly monitor the health and population status of native bees, (2) identify the scope and likely causes of unusual native bee mortality, and (3) submit to Congress and make public an annual report on the health and population status of native bees.
feat_title: Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2015