States Consider Bills on Pesticides, Pollinators, Weeds and More

Of the 41 state legislatures in session, over 160,000 bills have been filed thus far. ASTA has reviewed more than 3,500 bills and has whittled the list to 64 that we are actively tracking. Most of the bills are focused on pesticides (buffer zones, bans, studies, etc.), neonics (bans, limits, training, etc.), pollinators and noxious weeds.

While these bills are just starting to move through the legislative process, two have seen significant action:

• Idaho S1207 has stalled. The bill seeks to change the Seed Indemnity Fund Law and, among other things, force seed dealers to perform audits and increase unnecessary paperwork. The concerns center around the cost of compliance.
• Indiana HB 1227 is legislation that will be amended to specify that waterhemp, marestail, and Palmer amaranth are restricted (rather than prohibited) noxious weeds for purposes of the weed control board law.

Reminder: the ASTA State Government Affairs Working Group has a conference call to review all state bills scheduled for Friday, February 23, at 10:00 am (central time).  If you are not on the distribution list and would like to participate, contact Pat Miller.