Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Pesticides topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would let Arlington prohibit second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides by commercial applicators
Summary
A bill filed Sept. 25, 2025, would authorize the town of Arlington to prohibit the use of second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides by commercial pesticide applicators.
A bill filed Sept. 25, 2025, would authorize the town of Arlington to prohibit the use of second‑generation anticoagulant rodenticides by commercial pesticide applicators.
The joint petition, submitted as House No. 4571 and entered on House Docket No. 5188, was presented by Representative Sean Garballey of Arlington and Senator Cindy F. Friedman. The filing notes that local approval was received and that the bill was referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Section 1 of the bill says that "notwithstanding chapter 132B of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the town of Arlington may regulate through local bylaw or board of health regulation or ordinance the use of second generation anti‑coagulant rodenticides within the town of Arlington, including prohibiting the use of such pesticides by a certified applicator as defined in section 2 of chapter 132B of the General Laws." Section 2 states that the act "shall take effect upon its passage."
The bill text references General Laws chapter 132B and specifies that the town could use existing local regulatory mechanisms — a bylaw, a board of health regulation, or an ordinance — to restrict or prohibit the specified rodenticides. The filing does not include further legislative findings, enforcement provisions, or exemptions beyond the text quoted; it does not record any committee votes or a final legislative outcome.
Representative Sean Garballey and Senator Cindy F. Friedman are listed as petitioners; no public comments, testimony, or debate appear in this filing. The bill was entered into the legislative record on Sept. 25, 2025, and carries an effective‑on‑passage clause in Section 2.
Implications for Arlington would depend on any local bylaw or regulation the town adopts and on whether subsequent state law, regulation, or local implementation specifies enforcement or exemptions. The filing itself does not specify penalties, compliance timelines, or any state approvals that might be required to implement a local prohibition.
