PESTICIDE APPLICATOR CERTS; EXTEND S.B. 869:
REVISED SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 869 (as introduced 4-24-20)
Sponsor: Senator Wayne Schmidt
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 83 (Pesticide Control) of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to specify that three-year certificates for pesticide applicators that would have expired on December 31, 2019, would be unexpired and would remain so until June 30, 2020.
To become a certified pesticide applicator, an applicant must complete the certification requirements prescribed by the Director and categorized according to the various types of pesticide applications prescribed by rules and consistent with United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations. Certificates for commercial applicators, private agricultural applicators, and registered applicators are valid for at least three years. Under the bill, all three-year certificates for commercial applicators, private applicators, and registered applicators issued under Part 83 that would have expired on December 31, 2019, would be unexpired and would remain unexpired until June 30, 2020.
("Commercial applicator" means a person who is required to be a registered or certified applicator under Part 83, or who holds himself or herself out to the public as being in the business of applying pesticides. "Private agricultural applicator" means a certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of a restricted use pesticide for a private agricultural purpose. "Registered applicator" means an individual who is authorized to apply general use pesticides for a private or commercial purpose as provided in Part 83 and in the rules promulgated under Part 83.)
MCL 324.8312 & 324.8317 Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a negligible net fiscal impact on the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (which receives pesticide applicator fees to cover its cost to regulate those individuals and entities), as the bill would simply delay, not eliminate, the industry requirement to apply for a renewal of a three-year applicator certificate. Certificate application requirements are staggered over a multi-year period, which would minimize the bill's fiscal impact further. The amount received from the pesticide-related fees in 2019 was $565,000.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.