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H5217 • 2025

An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment

An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment

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The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Environment and Natural Resources (J)
Last action
2026-03-12
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment

An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

What This Bill Does

  • An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-12 House

    Reported from the committee on Environment and Natural Resources

  2. 2026-03-12 House

    New draft of H965 , H975 , H4091 , H4133 , H4172 , H4266 , H4310 , H4500 , H4571 , H4917 and H4972

  3. 2026-03-12 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

Official Summary Text

An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.5217

SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 132B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Animal” the following:-

“Anticoagulant rodenticide”, any pesticide product that has a mode of action that interferes with blood clotting including, but not limited to, the following active ingredients: Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone, Chlorophacinone, Difenacoum, Difethialone, Diphacinonon, or Warfarin.

SECTION 2. Section 5 of said chapter 132B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following paragraph:-

The department, with the approval of the board, shall by regulation establish a process and standards for the limited use of anticoagulant rodenticides by licensed applicators in public health emergencies, provided that such process and standards provide for one-time indoor use in a single location to address an urgent public health emergency, as determined by the state department of public health and such use shall: (i) be limited to 14 days; (ii) be accompanied by integrated pest management actions that include non-chemical methods and exclusionary measures to control rodents; (iii) require additional labeling of anticoagulant rodenticides used, including but not limited to, the name of the rodenticide clearly labeled on any bait box; (iv) require written rationale for the need for anticoagulant rodenticides over other non-toxic short-term alternatives; and (v) require applicators to report to the department after the 14-day emergency use period and include a plan for ongoing rodent control at the location.

Regulations shall also include provisions for the emergency use of anticoagulant rodenticides to protect drinking water supply, to control vectors for mosquito-borne illness, and for emergent infectious disease control.

SECTION 3. Section 7 of said chapter 132B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following paragraph:-

The subcommittee as established in section 3A of this chapter shall not register or reregister anticoagulant rodenticides, except that it may register or reregister anticoagulant rodenticides for emergency use, as provided by the department pursuant to section 5 of this chapter.

SECTION 4. The department shall report annually and include on its website information regarding the emergency use of anticoagulant rodenticides including, but not limited to, locations where the anticoagulant rodenticide was used, the types and amounts used, the contents of ongoing rodent control plans required in section 5 of chapter 132B, and relevant accompanying documents.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect January 1, 2028.

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