ASSEMBLY, No. 4265

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

217th LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 20, 2016

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  GARY S. SCHAER

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblyman  ERIC HOUGHTALING

District 11 (Monmouth)

Assemblyman  TIM EUSTACE

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblyman  RAJ MUKHERJI

District 33 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  JAMEL C. HOLLEY

District 20 (Union)

SYNOPSIS

     Requires certain notification prior to mosquito control spraying applications.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

An Act concerning mosquito control and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

     1.    a.  The State Mosquito Control Commission shall: (1) notify any registered beekeeper five days prior to performing within five miles of a registered apiary any mosquito control spraying application that may be toxic to honeybees; and (2) post notice on their website five days prior to any mosquito control spraying application.

     b. Any mosquito control spraying application shall be conducted before dawn or after dusk.

     2.    a.  A county mosquito control commission shall: (1) notify any registered beekeeper five days prior to performing within five miles of a registered apiary any mosquito control spraying application that may be toxic to honeybees; and (2) post notice on their website five days prior to any mosquito control spraying application.

     b.    Any mosquito control spraying application shall be conducted before dawn or after dusk.

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

     This bill would require certain notification prior to mosquito control spraying applications. Specifically, the bill would require the State Mosquito Control Commission and all county mosquito control commissions to: (1) notify any registered beekeeper five days prior to performing within five miles of a registered apiary any mosquito control spraying application that may be toxic to honeybees; and (2) post notice on their website five days prior to any mosquito control spraying application.  Additionally, the bill would require all mosquito control spraying applications to be conducted before dawn or after dusk.

     This bill is in response to a recent incident in Dorchester County, South Carolina when county officials, concerned about the potential spread of the Zika virus, conducted an aerial mosquito spraying operation after sunrise.  As an unintended consequence, the spraying killed an estimated 2.5 million honeybees.