Environment Committee advances bill to limit second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides with narrow exemptions

The Environment Committee moved House Bill 5217 to the floor after members debated a substitute that would ban the use of second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides in the state beginning in October while carving out several exemptions.

The chair summarized the substitute, saying it removes a DEEP requirement to classify certain rodenticides as restricted use and lifts a ban on sales and distribution while creating a specific ban on second‑generation anticoagulants that would take effect in October. Exemptions cited by the chair include public health activities, municipal public health departments responding to outbreaks, protections for water‑supply infrastructure, mosquito control, control of non‑native invasive species, specific responses to rodent infestations, agriculture activities and certain medical‑waste or drug‑ or device‑production facilities.

"Based on the public hearing testimony . . . these second generation anticoagulants are are having unintended consequences that are affecting not only our birds of prey, but also, our local fox, coyote, and the like," the chair said, summarizing testimony from wildlife rehabilitators and others who had urged restrictions.

Representative Reddington Hughes asked whether municipalities would still be able to use the rodenticides at transfer stations or for municipal composting operations. The representative also asked whether state employees referenced in the bill would need specific qualifications to apply products. "So if I'm understanding correctly, then they would not be allowed under normal circumstances at these transfer stations," Reddington Hughes said; the chair agreed, adding that the bill's outbreak carve‑out would allow a municipal health department to use second‑generation anticoagulants in response to an outbreak and that state employees performing applications would be expected to be licensed environmental professionals.

Representative Callahan expressed concern about moving before federal guidance is complete: "Are we putting the cart before the horse here and trying doing something that could end up with more harm, particularly to the inner cities?" the representative asked, referencing EPA pilot programs. The chair responded that the EPA has been reviewing the chemicals for years and that the committee would revisit the measure if federal recommendations warrant it.

Senator Harding sought and received clarification that the bill's exemptions allow private individuals to use the products for agricultural purposes and said she would support moving the measure out of committee provided the exemption language is kept tight. "With that clarification, I am in support of moving this forward today out of committee," Harding said.

A roll call vote on House Bill 5217 was conducted; the transcript records multiple members answering "yes." The excerpt does not include a final numeric tally or the clerk's formal announcement of the result. The chair then moved to the consent calendar (which included Senate Bill 194 and several House bills, including HB 5225 and HB 5216), and a separate roll call on the consent calendar was recorded. The chair said votes would be held open until 4 p.m. for virtual members. The committee scheduled its next meeting for Friday, March 15, at 10:00 a.m. and recessed until 4 p.m.

What the bill would do: The substitute text described to the committee would (1) prohibit the use of second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides beginning in October; (2) maintain exemptions for a list of public‑health, agricultural and critical‑infrastructure uses; and (3) remove a DEEP requirement to classify rodenticides as restricted use and lift a sales/distribution ban present in prior language. Alternatives discussed included snap traps, sticky traps, first‑generation anticoagulants and proactive fertility‑reducing materials used in parks such as Bushnell Park.

The committee record in this excerpt does not include (a) the complete roll call tally for either the HB 5217 vote or the consent calendar vote and (b) any amendments adopted on the floor. The committee's discussion emphasized wildlife impacts cited by rehabilitation groups, municipal outbreak carve‑outs and the need to keep exemption language narrowly tailored.