Munroe pushes legislation to protect firefighters and communities from cancer-causing forever chemicals
Rep. Brian Munroe April 30, 2026 | 2:35 PM
HARRISBURG, April 21 – State Rep. Brian Munroe, D-Bucks, testified before the Pennsylvania Senate’s Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee in favor of H.B. 1261, which would ban the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam in the Commonwealth.
House Bill 1261 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of foam that contains a group of chemicals known as PFAS beginning in 2026 except in specific circumstances.
“When firefighters battle some of the most difficult and severe fires, they have often deployed Class B firefighting foam, an effective method for extinguishing certain types of fires, but one that is laden with the toxic chemicals that contaminate firefighting gear and firefighters’ skin, as well as the ground and water where the foam collects,” Munroe said
The legislation would allow fire companies to utilize their state grant funding to mitigate the small cost of disposal of PFAS-laden foam and direct the Office of the State Fire Commissioner to work with the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure the safe handling and disposal of the prohibited foam.
Violations of the prohibition would result in fines to benefit firefighter training.
Munroe said that his district, which encompasses Warminster, Warrington, Ivyland, and parts of New Britain, was decimated by the effects of these chemicals, and as a two-time cancer survivor and former firefighter himself, he is personally familiar with the dangers of PFAS and has made banning forever chemicals one of his primary legislative priorities.
“This legislation addresses a type of environmental devastation that has not only decimated the water supply in my district but has fundamentally altered our lives… including my own,” Munroe said, speaking in support of H.B. 1261’s companion bill, S.B. 980. “We need to ensure that the contamination that happened here in Warminster, Warrington and Ivyland Borough, doesn’t happen to other communities throughout the Commonwealth.
"I am calling on my colleagues in the state Senate to help protect our communities and pass House Bill 1261 and its companion legislation to finally prohibit the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of foam containing PFAS,” he said.
House Bill 1261 advanced out the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee and awaits full consideration from the Senate.
To view the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee's meeting, click here.