MASSACHUSETTS | Revised Pesticide Bill Introduced, Expands Pesticide Restrictions on School Property, Allows for Electronic Records. 

On Tuesday, a new draft of House Bill 4600 was introduced on Beacon Hill that would make changes to the Massachusetts Pesticide Control Act, Chapter 132b, including the expansion of restrictions on pesticide use on school grounds to include public institutions of higher education. Massachusetts has long had restrictions on pesticide use in and around public K-12 schools and day care facilities requiring IPM planning, public notification and application restrictions. The bill now requires schools to adopt and implement IPM plans by November 1, 2022. The bill will also make changes to the reporting requirements of pesticide use to the state, first allowing the state’s Department of Agricultural Resources to collect the information electronically via the already established ePlace Portal system and will require the state to make that data available to the public on an annual basis.  

The state’s formal, two-year session will end on July 31st with much negotiation going on until the final hour.  The new bill, House 4931, is expected to be voted on in the House shortly.