Massie proposes House bill to restrict funding for executive order on herbicide chemicals

A newly introduced bill from Rep. Thomas Massie in the U.S. House seeks to strengthen accountability for chemical producers and safeguard legal rights for individuals exposed to herbicides, according to the U.S. Congress.

H.R.7601 was submitted on Feb. 20, 2026, in the 119th Congress’s 2026 regular session. Below is our summary, based on the official bill text, with added clarification where appropriate.

The legislation would bar federal funds from being used to implement the Executive order titled “Promoting the National Defense by Ensuring an Adequate Supply of Elemental Phosphorus and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides,” issued on Feb. 18, 2026. It provides individuals who experience injury, illness or death resulting from exposure to elemental phosphorus or glyphosate herbicides with a legal path to pursue civil action against manufacturers and distributors. The proposed statute explicitly states that these companies cannot claim immunity from lawsuits under federal or state law for such harm. It also clarifies that any claims already filed are unaffected and confirms that state law rights and traditional remedies are preserved. The bill aims to place greater responsibility on manufacturers and distributors of the chemicals involved.

The bill’s sponsors include Rep. Thomas Massie (Republican-KY-4th District), Rep. Lauren Boebert (Republican-KY-4th District), Rep. Ro Khanna (Democrat-KY-17th District), Rep. Nancy Mace (Republican-KY-1st District), and one additional co-sponsor.

So far this session, Rep. Massie has put forward 17 other bills.

Congressional bills may originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, except for revenue bills, which must start in the House. Once introduced, bills are sent to committees for review, public hearings, amendments, and debate before being considered by each chamber. To become law, both the House and Senate must pass the same version, after which it is sent to the president for approval or veto. Congress holds two-year terms, each divided into two annual sessions and numbered consecutively. Official proceedings and bill documents are published by the U.S. Congress on Congress.gov.

Thomas Massie serves as a Representative from Kentucky and was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He earned a Bachelor of Science in 1993 and a Master of Science in 1996 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, held the office of Lewis County judge executive from 2010 to 2012, and has served in the One Hundred Twelfth, One Hundred Thirteenth and six following Congresses.

Information in this article comes from the U.S. Congress. You can view the source data here.