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Sponsors shelve limited‑use rodenticide bill after safety, enforceability concerns
Summary
Sponsors of a bill to restrict certain rodenticide uses told the House Agriculture Committee they would not move the measure forward after reviewing an amendment; members voted to postpone the bill indefinitely at the sponsor's request.
Representative Lasco, sponsor of the rodenticide measure, told the House Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee that an amendment they had been developing would not achieve the bill’s goals and could create unintended access that increases risk.
"Restricting distribution does little to change real‑world outcomes," Lasco said, arguing the point of risk is application, not sale. She warned that limiting distribution to licensed dealers would leave exposure pathways — improper placement, continuous baiting and secondary poisoning — unchanged.
Committee members voiced broad agreement about the public‑safety goals behind the bill but said the technical approach needed more work. Representative Brown thanked the sponsors for negotiations and said she remains hopeful for a future fix. Representative Smith and others emphasized concerns about easy online availability and the potential for bioaccumulation in wildlife.
On a formal motion from Representative Morrow, the committee postponed the bill indefinitely at the sponsors’ request. The clerk recorded the roll; the chair announced the bill was postponed indefinitely by recorded vote.
The action leaves sponsors with time to refine an approach that the committee and sponsors agreed must target the point of application and be consistent with federal EPA roles and labeling authorities. The committee did not take other action on related amendments.
