H.R. 3871 — Research for Healthy Soils Act

This bill includes research on the agricultural impacts of microplastics in land-applied biosolids on farmland as a Department of Agriculture (USDA) high-priority research and extension area. Microplastic is a plastic or plastic-coated particle that is less than 5 millimeters in size. The bill specifically allows grants for carrying out or enhancing research in this area (e.g., the development or analysis of wastewater treatment techniques to filter out or biodegrade microplastics from biosolids intended to be used for agricultural purposes). Further, the bill reauthorizes USDA grants to support competitive specialized research and extension activities, including high-priority areas, throu...