(NewsDakota.com/NAFB) – The recently-passed omnibus spending legislation contained the reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act, something important to CropLife America. The organization says it will strengthen and improve the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide registration process.

The EPA’s scientists work diligently to comply with the multiple laws that govern pesticide registration, but, in recent years, the agency has fewer available scientists to do that work,” says Chris Novak, President of CLA. “The reauthorization of PRIA is a first step in improving the efficiency of the pesticide registration process and in providing more certainty for farmers, consumers, and CropLife’s member companies that EPA will meet its statutory obligations.”

PRIA provides critically needed resources for the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. The increased funding coupled with a variety of process and technology improvements will allow EPA to increase staffing and better meet pesticide registration timeframes to give farmers the tools they need to manage pests.