Governor Eric Holcomb has signed legislation to test firefighters for PFAS exposure into law.

Authored by Representative Maureen Bauer of South Bend, the act establishes a pilot program under the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to monitor the levels of toxic, man-made per-and polyfluorinated substances in the blood of 1,000 former and current Hoosier firefighters.

The law goes into effect on July 1.

The bill allows for the establishment of the PFAS Bio-monitoring Fund which will allow individuals to donate in memory of a fallen fire service member in order to help provide funds for the program.

The Department of Homeland Security has until 2027 to prepare a report summarizing the findings of the testing program and make recommendations for reducing exposure moving forward.