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Assembly committee advances bill requiring pest inspections before close-proximity demolitions
Summary
A committee advanced Assembly Bill 3555 after sponsor Teneal McCoy and expert witnesses described cases of rodents displaced by demolition. The bill would require certified inspections and extermination when necessary before demolishing structures within 10 feet of another building, with exemptions for emergencies and isolated demolitions.
Assemblywoman Teneal McCoy told the Assembly Committee on Community Development and Women's Affairs that Assembly Bill 3555 would protect residents from pests displaced by demolition activity. McCoy recounted a constituent’s account in which rodents forced a family to leave their home, saying residents experienced “rats being in her bed.”
The bill, as amended by the committee, would require an inspection by a certified health officer or pest-control professional before demolitions of structures located within 10 feet of another building. If “severe pest persistence” is found—examples cited by witnesses included rats, roaches and mice—extermination would be required before demolition proceeds. The measure includes exemptions for emergency demolitions and for demolitions where no neighboring building is within 10 feet, and it places compliance costs on the permit applicant.
Dr. Shannon Sked, an entomologist representing the New Jersey Pest Management Association, testified that disturbances such as demolition can trigger mass movement of rodents and other urban pests and that pre‑disturbance mitigation is generally more effective and less costly than reactive efforts after pests spread. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” she said, explaining that identifying and treating harborages before disturbance reduces subsequent spread.
Committee members heard supporting slips and testimony from trade groups and industry representatives. After discussion, the committee voted on the motion to amend and release the bill; the clerk recorded yes votes by Assemblyman Barlas, Assemblyman Simonson, Assemblywoman Stomato, Assemblywoman Ramirez, Vice Chair Lopez and Chairwoman Sumter. The bill was released with amendments and moves to the next step in the legislative process.
The committee did not adopt additional funding or implementation details during the hearing; the bill assigns inspection costs to permit applicants and leaves enforcement and procedural details to implementing agencies and subsequent rulemaking.
