Congress has just passed the Fiscal
Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, and President Biden is expected
to sign it soon. See https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20231211/FY24%20NDAA%20Conference%20Report%20-%20%20FINAL.pdf
for the text.
Subtitle C—Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Polyfluoroalkyl
Substances (PFAS), found beginning page 190 of the PDF I downloaded, contains six
provisions:
Section 331 changes the reporting requirement of the Defense
Department PFAS Task Force from quarterly to annual.
Section 332 requires the Defense Department to prepare a separate
budget justification document each year relating to the research and
development, testing, remediation, and contaminant disposal of PFAS, as well as
related community outreach.
Section 333 authorizes the transfer of $5 million more to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the health impact of PFAS
in drinking water. The Defense Department retains the task of studying the ecological
impact of PFAS.
Section 334 adds thermal destruction to the technologies for which
the Defense Department can award a monetary prize. $1 million is set aside for
this purpose.
Section 335 appears to allow the Defense Department to conduct
incineration of PFAS-contaminated materials, with EPA approval.
Section 336 required the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to
conduct a study of “ongoing testing and remediation by the Department of
Defense of current or former military installations contaminated” with PFAS. Of
course, legislation is not necessary to trigger a GAO report.
If I recall correctly, monetary authorizations must be followed up
by actual appropriations in separate legislation.