TSCA Section 8(a)(7) Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
On October 11, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized reporting and recordkeeping requirements for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). In the final rule, EPA required any person that manufactures (including import) or has manufactured (including imported) PFAS or PFAS-containing articles in any year since January 1, 2011, to electronically report information regarding PFAS uses, production volumes, disposal, exposures, and hazards.
Any entities required to report under this rule must report their data to EPA through the agency's Central Data Exchange (CDX). When the submission period begins, manufacturers will have six months to provide their data.
In November 2025, EPA proposed changes to the scope of the TSCA 8(a)(7) PFAS reporting regulations. Additional information on this proposal is provided below. Read the Federal Register Notice.
Rule Updates
April 2026 Final Rule
In April 2026, EPA finalized an extension of the reporting period for TSCA 8(a)(7) submissions by 60 days following the effective date of the agency’s revision to the rule. A finalized start date for this rule gives companies clear direction and accountability. This also allows additional time for EPA to review the thousands of public comments on the November 2025 proposed updates so that the agency can refine the rule to better deliver timely, actionable reporting guidance without unnecessary loopholes that could delay health‑protective decisions. Read a prepublication version of the Federal Register Notice (pdf)
November 2025 Proposed Rule
In November 2025, EPA proposed changes to the scope of the TSCA 8(a)(7) PFAS reporting regulations. These proposed changes incorporate exemptions and modifications that will reduce unnecessary or potentially duplicative reporting requirements for manufacturers.
The proposed exemptions apply to:
- PFAS manufactured (including imported) in mixtures or products at concentrations 0.1% or lower;
- Imported articles;
- Certain byproducts;
- Impurities;
- Research and development chemicals; and
- Non-isolated intermediates.
Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, EPA accepted comments on the proposed changes for 45 days in docket #EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0549 on www.regulations.gov. The comment period ended on December 29, 2025 and a final rule is expected in 2026. Read the Federal Register Notice.
May 2025 Interim Final Rule
In May 2025, EPA announced an interim final rule which extended the dates of the reporting period for data submissions. Submissions are now due by October 13, 2026, for most manufacturers. Small businesses reporting data solely on importing PFAS contained in articles have until April 13, 2027, to submit reports.
September 2024 Final Rule and Parallel Proposed Rule
In September 2024, EPA announced a direct final rule and a parallel proposed rule to delay the reporting period for this rule. The reporting period was scheduled to begin on November 12, 2024, but the final rule delays the beginning of the reporting period until July 2025 due to budgetary constraints. Read the direct final rule.
Rule History
A. What is TSCA section 8(a)?
Under TSCA section 8(a)(7), EPA must promulgate a rule to require each person who has manufactured (including imported) PFAS in any year since 2011 to report certain data to EPA, including:
A. The covered common or trade name, chemical identity and molecular structure of each chemical substance or mixture;
B. Categories or proposed categories of use for each substance or mixture;
C. Total amount of each substance or mixture manufactured or processed, the amounts manufactured or processed for each category of use, and reasonable estimates of the respective proposed amounts;
D. Descriptions of byproducts resulting from the manufacture, processing, use, or disposal of each substance or mixture;
E. All existing information concerning the environmental and health effects of each substance or mixture;
F. The number of individuals exposed, and reasonable estimates on the number of individuals who will be exposed, to each substance or mixture in their places of work and the duration of their exposure, and;
G. The manner or method of disposal of each substance or mixture, and any change in such manner or method.
B. What are PFAS?
PFAS are synthetic organic compounds that do not occur naturally in the environment.
For the purpose of this rule, EPA has defined “PFAS” as a chemical substance that contains at least one of the following three structures:
- R-(CF2)-CF(R′)R″, where both the CF2 and CF moieties are saturated carbons.
- R-CF2OCF2-R′, where R and R′ can either be F, O, or saturated carbons.
- CF3C(CF3)R′R″, where R′ and R″ can either be F or saturated carbons.
The strong carbon-fluorine bonds of PFAS make some of them resistant to degradation and thus highly persistent in the environment. Some of these chemicals have been used for decades in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products. Some PFAS have been detected in wildlife, including higher trophic organisms, indicating that at least some PFAS have the ability to bioaccumulate. Some PFAS can accumulate in humans and remain in the human body for long periods of time (e.g., months to years). Because of the widespread use of PFAS in commerce and their tendency to persist in the environment, most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS. As a result, several PFAS have been detected in human blood serum.
Under TSCA section 8(b), EPA maintains the TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory (“Inventory”), which contains all existing chemical substances manufactured, processed, or imported in the United States that do not qualify for an exemption or exclusion under TSCA. EPA has identified at least 1,462 PFAS currently covered by TSCA that may be covered by this rule as of February 2023, 770 of which are on the active Inventory (i.e., in U.S. commerce). The list of active chemicals includes those known to be in commerce after June 2006.
C. How did EPA consult with small businesses in the development of this rule?
In April 2022, EPA convened a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel on this rulemaking. The SBAR Panel included federal representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA. Small businesses and trade associations served as small Entity Representatives (SERs) to provide advice and recommendations to the panel.
Learn more about the SBAR panel.
In November 2022, EPA released an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) on this rule for public comment.
The IRFA examines the type and number of small entities that may be impacted by the proposed rule, the estimated burden, and costs of the proposed rule on small entities, and potential regulatory flexibility alternatives. EPA considered the SBAR panel’s feedback in the IRFA. The SERs and panel members helped shape the discussion, including the regulatory flexibility alternatives examined in section 7 of the IRFA. SERs’ input also helped describe the universe of small entities and potential small entity burden and costs (and underlying assumptions to develop those costs) in the IRFA.
Informational Webinar
On January 25, 2024, EPA held a webinar to provide an overview of the TSCA Section 8(a)(7) rule’s requirements.
View materials from the webinar.
Additional Resources
Read the full Federal Register notice at docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0549 on www.regulations.gov.
TSCA 8(a)(7) GuideME database of 8(a)(7) reporting guidance
TSCA Section 8(a)(7) Rule, Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
Instructions for Reporting PFAS Under TSCA Section 8(a)(7) (pdf)
TSCA 8a7 Small Entity Compliance Guidance (pdf)
Public List of TSCA PFAS for 8(a)(7) Rule (xlsx)
If you have questions about the TSCA 8(a)(7) reporting rule that are not answered in these materials, please email TSCA8a7PFAS@epa.gov.