Frontline groups tell oversight hearing DPR must fix conflicts, enforce protections, and expand notifications

At the committee hearing, Angel Garcia of a community reform group said California "still allows the use of dozens of pesticide active ingredients that have been banned in other... agricultural economies," and pressed for a tiered mill assessment to incentivize lower-risk products. Garcia and other community witnesses argued DPR's reliance on the mill assessment—revenue tied to first sale of pesticides—creates a structural conflict of interest that can slow transitions to safer tools.

Bianca Lopez, a Central Valley grassroots cofounder, described gaps between statewide law and local practice, saying community organizations are often forced to "ground truth" whether protections are implemented and urged DPR to verify implementation rather than rely on guidance alone. Witnesses asked for precise, field-level spray-day information and stronger buffers around schools and homes; community commenters during public comment repeated requests for exact application locations and stronger enforcement of local incidents.