HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 649        FILED ON: 1/10/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Carmine Lawrence Gentile and Mary S. Keefe

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to improving pesticide protections for Massachusetts schoolchildren.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 649        FILED ON: 1/10/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to improving pesticide protections for Massachusetts schoolchildren.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 6C of Chapter 132B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “center”, in lines 3, 6 and 10, each time it appears, the following words:- , property occupied by the department of children and families, facilities of the juvenile court, facilities of the department of youth services, sports fields for town youth teams.

SECTION 2. Said Section 6C of said Chapter 132B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “program”, in lines 3, 7 and 11, each time it appears, the following words:- or on properties within 150 feet thereof, including abutters.

SECTION 3. Said Section 6C of said Chapter 132B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “school”, in line 11 and line 27, the following words:- or department.

SECTION 4. Said Section 6C of said Chapter 132B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following new subsection:-

(d) This section shall apply regardless of what entity hires a party to spray, release, deposit or apply pesticides. This section shall apply whether a hiring entity is a public or private owner of real property, a management company for real property, or any other person or legal entity.

SECTION 5. Said section 6G of said chapter 132B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding following paragraph:-

Notwithstanding the forgoing, a school, child care center, public institution of higher education or school age child care program shall only use pesticide products that: (i) are classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as an exempt material pursuant to 40 C.F.R. 152.25, as amended; or (ii) include no active ingredients other than those published in the National List at 7 C.F.R 205.601, as amended; provided, however, that a school, child care center, public institution of higher education or school age child care program may be granted a hardship waiver, at the discretion of the department, for use of a pesticide that does not meet such qualifications.