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SB26-062 • 2026

Rodenticide Use Restrictions

The bill prohibits a person from selling, distributing, applying, or using certain types of rodenticide and rodent glue traps in the state except as authorized for restricted and limited use in a publ

Agriculture Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. C. Kipp, Rep. E. Velasco, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. K. Wallace
Last action
2026-03-17
Official status
Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on the specific use requirements and time periods for restricted use.

Rodenticide Use Restrictions

The bill restricts the sale and use of certain rodenticides and glue traps in Colorado, except for limited use during public health emergencies.

What This Bill Does

  • Prohibits selling, distributing, applying, or using specific types of rodenticides and glue traps unless authorized for restricted use in a public health emergency.
  • Requires professional pest control services to prioritize integrated pest management strategies.
  • Designates second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides as restricted-use pesticides, allowing the agriculture commissioner to limit their distribution and use.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People selling, distributing, applying, or using rodenticides and glue traps.
  • Professional pest control service providers who must now prioritize nonchemical methods.
  • The agriculture commissioner who will regulate the distribution and use of restricted pesticides.

Terms To Know

Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR)
A type of pesticide containing active ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill's effectiveness is subject to a potential referendum petition and approval by voters.
  • Details on specific use requirements and time periods for restricted use are not provided in the summary.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.001

SEN Agriculture & Natural Resources

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to require the Colorado Commissioner to adopt rules by July 1, 2027, that restrict and limit the use of certain rodenticides.

  • Adds a new section requiring the commissioner to designate first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, and nonanticoagulant rodenticides as restricted-use or limited-use pesticides by July 1, 2027.
  • Includes specific rules for limiting the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides to circumstances where rodent activity is present and nonchemical measures have been implemented.
  • Prohibits preventive, routine, or indefinite deployment of these rodenticides and restricts their outdoor or open-area use.
  • The amendment text was truncated at the end, so some details about glue boards are missing.
L.010

SEN Agriculture & Natural Resources

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the bill to allow certain non-anticoagulant rodenticides containing bromethalin to be sold in specific retail packages without being designated as restricted or limited use pesticides.

  • Allows a non-anticoagulant rodenticide with bromethaline as its main ingredient to be sold if it meets certain conditions, such as being packaged in tamper-resistant bait stations that are not refillable and do not exceed one pound of total bait weight.
  • The amendment text does not specify all the details about how these products will be regulated or what happens if they don't meet the conditions listed.
L.011

SEN Agriculture & Natural Resources

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment restricts the sale and use of certain rodenticides called second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) in Colorado, starting July 1, 2027.

  • Defines SGARs as pesticides containing specific active ingredients like brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone.
  • Designates SGARs as restricted-use pesticides from July 1, 2027, limiting their distribution and use to licensed applicators.
  • Adds a new law making it illegal for anyone to distribute or use SGARs in violation of the restrictions.
  • The amendment does not specify how enforcement will be carried out or what penalties will apply for violations.
L.012

SEN Agriculture & Natural Resources

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes how a specific bill about rodenticide restrictions will take effect, adding conditions for when it might be put to a public vote.

  • Adds new language that sets the effective date of the bill after a ninety-day period following the end of the legislative session in August 2026, unless there is a referendum petition filed within this period.
  • The exact details about how and when the public vote would occur if a referendum petition is filed are not fully explained in the amendment text.
L.013

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds an exemption for second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides on small Colorado farms that earn less than $500,000 annually.

  • Adds a new section allowing the use of certain types of rodenticides on smaller farms in Colorado.
  • Defines 'smaller farms' as those earning under $500,000 per year.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens to larger farms or other types of rodenticides.
L.015

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds an exemption for small farms to use certain rodenticides without restrictions.

  • Adds a new section allowing the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides on Colorado farms with fewer than fifty employees, which were previously restricted.
  • The amendment does not specify what other types of rodenticide or glue traps are still prohibited for these small farms.
  • It is unclear how this exemption will be enforced and monitored.
L.016

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment changes the effective date for certain sections of the bill about rodenticide restrictions.

  • Moves the implementation date for specific parts of the bill to July 1, 2031.
  • The exact details and impacts of these delayed sections are not explained in this amendment text.
L.017

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement that if the Commissioner needs to issue permits for selling and using second-generation rodenticides, those permits must be valid for fifteen years.

  • Adds a provision stating that any permit required by the Commissioner for the sale and use of second-generation rodenticides will last for fifteen years.
  • The amendment does not specify what conditions would trigger the need for permits or how the permitting process works beyond the duration requirement.
L.018

Second Reading

Lost [**]

Plain English: The amendment adds a new requirement that if the Commissioner needs to issue permits for selling and using second-generation rodenticides, these permits must cost no more than one dollar.

  • Adds a provision allowing the Commissioner to require permits for the sale and use of second-generation rodenticides.
  • Specifies that any permit required by the Commissioner cannot cost more than one dollar.
  • The amendment does not specify what happens if no permit is needed or how enforcement would work.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 House

    House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Lay Over Unamended - Amendment(s) Failed

  2. 2026-03-30 House

    House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

  3. 2026-03-19 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources

  4. 2026-03-18 Senate

    Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments

  5. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments

  6. 2026-03-17 Senate

    Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee

  7. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole

  8. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended to Appropriations

  9. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Lay Over Amended

  10. 2026-01-28 Senate

    Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

The bill
prohibits a person from selling, distributing, applying, or using certain types of rodenticide and rodent glue traps in the state except as authorized for restricted and limited use in a public health emergency and in accordance with certain use requirements and time periods.

A person conducting professional rodent control services in the state is required to prioritize integrated pest management strategies, which involve implementing a combination of nonchemical rodent control measures.

designates second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, which are pesticides containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone as an active ingredient, as restricted-use pesticides and authorizes the commissioner of agriculture to restrict their distribution and use.
(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0073.01 Jennifer Berman x3286 SENATE BILL 26-062
Senate Committees House Committees
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING DESIGNATING SECOND -GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT101
RODENTICIDES AS RESTRICTED -USE PESTICIDES FOR THE102
PURPOSE OF RETAIL SALES IN THE STATE.103
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill prohibits a person from selling, distributing, applying, or
using certain types of rodenticide and rodent glue traps in the state except
as authorized for restricted and limited use in a public health emergency
and in accordance with certain use requirements and time periods.
A person conducting professional rodent control services in the
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 18, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 17, 2026
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Cutter and Kipp, Coleman, Wallace
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Velasco,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
state is required to prioritize integrated pest management strategies, which
involve implementing a combination of nonchemical rodent control
measures.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
finds that:3
(a) The use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides,4
referred to as "SGARs", should be restricted to licensed applicators to5
safeguard public health, nontarget wildlife and domestic animals, and the6
environment;7
(b) Despite prior proposals and actions by the United States8
environmental protection agency, SGARs remain widely accessible to the9
general public;10
(c) Statistics from America's Poison Centers indicate that children11
5 years old and younger account for 75% of the approximately 3,10012
annual human exposures to SGARs reported from 2019 to 2023;13
(d) Preventive, permanent, or nonstructure-associated baiting with14
SGARs prolongs the environmental presence of toxic chemicals and15
increases the likelihood of primary and secondary exposure to companion16
animals and wildlife, including birds of prey and mammalian carnivores;17
(e) Integrated pest management strategies, which emphasize18
exclusion, proper sanitation, and targeted removal, minimize harm and19
constitute a humane, science-driven, and effective approach to rodent20
control;21
(f) In conjunction with using integrated pest management22
strategies, limiting the use of SGARs to circumstances that involve23
documented and persistent rodent activity, as verified by means such as24
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electronic rodent monitoring and as only a "last resort" could reduce1
unnecessary exposure risks and cascading household, property, and2
environmental impacts; and3
(g) The department of agriculture's broad rule-making authority4
includes the authority to adopt rules consistent with state and federal law5
to further reduce the unintended exposure to SGARs, including the6
adoption of rules that reflect the risk-reduction principles described in this7
section.8
(2) The general assembly therefore declares that restricting the use9
of SGARs, while promoting integrated pest management strategies and10
encouraging the targeted, structure-associated use of SGARs, will protect11
Colorado's wildlife, children, and pets; will safeguard human health; and12
will support humane, science-driven, and effective rodent control.13
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 35-9-103, add (13)14
as follows:15
35-9-103. Definitions.16
As used in this article 9, unless the context otherwise requires:17
(13) "S ECOND-GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDE "18
MEANS A PESTICIDE CONTAINING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVE19
INGREDIENTS:20
(a) BRODIFACOUM;21
(b) BROMADIOLONE;22
(c) DIFENACOUM; OR23
(d) DIFETHIALONE.24
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 35-9-118.5 as25
follows:26
35-9-118.5. Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides27
062-3-
designated as restricted-use pesticides.1
ON AND AFTER JULY 1, 2027, SECOND -GENERATION2
ANTICOAGULANT RODENTICIDES ARE DESIGNATED AS RESTRICTED -USE3
PESTICIDES AND THE COMMISSIONER SHALL RESTRICT THE DISTRIBUTION4
AND USE OF THE PESTICIDES PURSUANT TO SECTION 35-9-108 (5).5
SECTION 4. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 35-9-120, amend6
(1)(j.5) and (1)(k); and add (1)(l) as follows:7
35-9-120. Prohibited acts - deceptive trade practice.8
(1) It is unlawful and a violation of this article ARTICLE 9 for any9
person:10
(j.5) To make a false statement in any invoice, record, report, or11
application required under this article ARTICLE 9 or any rule promulgated12
ADOPTED under this article; or ARTICLE 9;13
(k) To make any fraudulent st atements in an y confid entiality14
agreement authorized pursuant to section 35-9-109 or to violate any of the15
provisions of said THE agreement; OR16
(l) TO DISTRIBUTE OR USE SECOND-GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT17
RODENTICIDES IN VIOLATION OF SECTION 35-9-118.5.18
SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act19
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the20
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August21
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a22
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the23
state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act24
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect25
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in26
062-4-
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the1
official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.2
062-5-