April 16 (legislative day, April 14), 2026
Mr. Merkley introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
To establish a task force to address the impacts of the chemical 6PPD and its byproduct 6PPD-Q on coho salmon and the environment and to promote research and funding opportunities for an alternative to 6PPD, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the 6PPD Task Force Act
.
Sec. 2. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) 6PPD
The term 6PPD means the chemical compound N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′- 11 phenyl-p-phenylenediamine.
(2) 6PPD-Q
The term 6PPD-Q means 6PPD-quinone.
(3) Task Force
The term Task Force means the 6PPD Task Force established pursuant to section 4(a).
Sec. 3. Findings
Congress finds that—
(1)
6PPD is a chemical commonly used in all motor vehicle tires, military vehicle tires, and aircraft tires, contributing to passenger safety by preventing tires from degrading quickly and ensuring tire durability;
(2)
as 6PPD in tires reacts with oxygen or ozone in the environment, 6PPD breaks down and transforms into compounds, including 6PPD-Q;
(3)
stormwater runoff may cause tire and road wear particles containing 6PPD-Q to wash into streams, rivers, and other bodies of water that are habitats for aquatic species, such as Pacific salmon;
(4)
6PPD-Q from stormwater runoff is acutely toxic to adult and juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch);
(5)
private-sector efforts exist in the United States to develop, while also prioritizing motor vehicle passenger safety and environmental impacts, potential alternatives to 6PPD that will not—
(A)
transform into 6PPD-Q and enter into waterways, where 6PPD-Q may lead to coho salmon mortality; or
(B)
harm other wildlife species or people;
(6)
finding a 6PPD alternative has national security, domestic supply chain, and environmental and human health implications and must be addressed in a timely manner; and
(7)
efforts to replace 6PPD must ensure continued compliance with vehicle safety and performance standards critical to passenger and public safety.
Sec. 4. Establishment of 6PPD task force
(a) Establishment
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall, to the extent practicable, enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences pursuant to which the National Academy of Sciences shall establish a task force, to be known as the 6PPD Task Force
.
(b) Duties
The Task Force shall—
(1)
improve data and information sharing for research into an alternative to 6PPD among Federal agencies, research institutions, and State, Tribal, and local governments for the purposes of—
(A)
identifying the potential impacts of 6PPD on coho salmon, other aquatic species, human health, and the environment; and
(B)
mitigating the adverse effects of 6PPD on water quality, human health, and the environment;
(2)
identify and recommend Federal funding opportunities to researchers, institutions of higher education, State, Tribal, and local governments, tire manufacturers, chemical suppliers, tire additive manufacturers, and other entities—
(A)
to study the potential impacts of 6PPD, related compounds, and their degradation products, including 6PPD-Q, on Pacific salmon, other economically or ecologically valuable aquatic species, and human health; and
(B)
to develop an alternative chemical to 6PPD, including scientific validation and scale-up activities to commercialize 6PPD alternatives;
(3)
identify and include in the annual report required under subsection (g)—
(A)
recommendations for expediting the identification, toxicity, and performance testing of safer alternatives to 6PPD; and
(B)
opportunities to encourage the adoption of safer alternatives to 6PPD in tires available on the market;
(4)
share with Federal agencies, research institutions, and State, Tribal, and local governments best practices, techniques, methodologies, and cost estimates for 6PPD mitigation efforts, including street sweeping and stormwater runoff treatment;
(5)
identify and provide research to Federal agencies, research institutions, and State, Tribal, and local governments regarding pathways not related to motor vehicle tires through which 6PPD exposure occurs, including exposure to 6PPD through—
(A)
reuse of tires, including for artificial turf;
(B)
playground materials;
(C)
artificial reefs;
(D)
underwater tire piles; and
(E)
other rubber materials; and
(6)
share funding information, technical assistance, yearly reports, and resources in an online repository accessible to—
(A)
Indian Tribes;
(B)
State departments of transportation;
(C)
metropolitan planning organizations;
(D)
State and local governments;
(E)
tire manufacturers;
(F)
chemical suppliers;
(G)
tire additive manufacturers;
(H)
institutions of higher education; and
(I)
the public.
(c) Membership
The Task Force shall be composed of the following members:
(1)
A designee of the Secretary of Transportation.
(2)
A designee of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(3)
A designee of the Secretary of Agriculture.
(4)
A designee of the Director of the United States Geological Survey.
(5)
A designee of the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
(6)
A designee of the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(7)
A designee of the Director of the National Institutes of Health.
(8)
A designee of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(9)
Not fewer than 4 representatives from Tribal governments located on the western coast of the United States with current knowledge of 6PPD impacts on coho salmon, who shall be appointed by the National Academy of Sciences with consideration given to differences in regional perspectives and experiences.
(10)
Not fewer than 4 representatives from the private sector, who shall be appointed by the National Academy of Sciences, including—
(A)
2 representatives from the tire manufacturing industry; and
(B)
2 representatives from the tire chemical additive manufacturing industry.
(11)
Not fewer than 1 representative from the environmental community, who shall be appointed by the National Academy of Sciences.
(12)
Not fewer than 2 representatives with expertise in environmental and public health from State government agencies with active 6PPD mitigation programs or that have documented 6PPD runoff impacts on aquatic species, who shall be appointed by the National Academy of Sciences from not fewer than 2 different States.
(13)
Not fewer than 1 representative from a university research institution with experience researching 6PPD and aquatic toxicology, who shall be appointed by the National Academy of Sciences.
(d) Co-Chairs
The members described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall serve as the Co-Chairs of the Task Force.
(e) Meetings
The Task Force shall meet not less than 3 times annually.
(f) Inapplicability of FACA
Chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Federal Advisory Committee Act
), shall not apply to the Task Force.
(g) Report
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Task Force shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and make publicly available, a report that includes—
(1)
the findings and recommendations of the Task Force; and
(2)
a list of stakeholders and industry experts consulted by the Task Force.