The California Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 1963 (AB 1963) requiring an expedited review of paraquat, an herbicide commonly used statewide on almonds, pistachios, pomegranates, grapes, and other crops. The chemical has been linked to increased risk of diseases like Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Sponsored by California Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-44), AB 1963 now awaits signature into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The legislation mandates that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) complete a formal scientific reevaluation of paraquat before January 1, 2029—much more quickly than a review would be conducted otherwise. Such reviews can sometimes drag on for upwards of a decade.

AB 1963 takes advantage of additional funding provided to DPR by the California legislature, requiring that the department use the money to increase the number of reevaluations conducted for possibly toxic chemicals. The bill mandates that DPR prioritize paraquat.

“I am very confident that DPR will not only do a thorough re-evaluation of paraquat, but either ban it outright or place greater restrictions on its use,” said Assemblymember Friedman.

Originally, AB 1936 contained a provision that would suspend the use of paraquat if DPR failed to meet the January 2029 reevaluation deadline, but the provision was nixed by the state Senate Agriculture Committee.