State Pesticide Preemption Efforts Underway

Following the 2017 strategic direction set by our members, NPMA staff members have been working to push for state pesticide preemption (currently seven states including AK, HI, ME, MD, NV, UT, and VT don’t have pesticide preemption laws). Efforts began in December when NPMA, in partnership with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP), hosted a coalition meeting to discuss preemption with representatives from related industries. Since then, work has been underway to push for preemption this year in Utah, and today we are excited to report that we have cleared the first of several hurdles to accomplishing our goal in the state.

Earlier this month, UT HB 280 was introduced and is fully supported by UT-based pest management companies and organizations doing business in the state. As of Friday, our Utah Pest Control Coalition (UPCC) sent letters to all 13 members of the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee which the bill passed through unanimously yesterday. We anticipate the bill will be put on the consent calendar for floor consideration as early as next week.

NPMA thanks those members in UT who have been working hard to support these efforts. We’ll continue to work in UT over the coming weeks while discussing plans for a broader initiative.