STATE OF NEW JERSEY
218th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator CHRISTOPHER "KIP" BATEMAN
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
Senator BOB SMITH
District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Gordon
SYNOPSIS
Requires pesticide applicator to notify beekeeper when applying pesticide within three miles of registered honey or native beehive or beeyard.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the application of pesticide products near beehives and beeyards and supplementing P.L.1971, c.176 (C.13:1F-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Within 180 days after the effective date of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), the department shall adopt, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations: (1) permitting beekeepers to register their honey or native beehives or beeyards with the department; and (2) requiring pesticide applicators to notify a registered beekeeper before making an outdoor application of a pesticide product that may be toxic to bees within three miles of a registered honey or native beehive or beeyard.
b. A beekeeper who wishes to receive the notice required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section shall register his beehives or beeyards with the department by March 1 each year.
c. The department shall adopt, by rule or regulation, specific requirements for the registration of beehives and beeyards and for the notification required pursuant to this section. The department may also provide for exceptions to the notification requirement.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt regulations:
1) permitting beekeepers to register their honey or native beehives or beeyards with the DEP; and
2) requiring pesticide applicators to notify a registered beekeeper before applying a pesticide product that may be toxic to native bees within three miles of a registered honey or native beehive or beeyard.
The bill would also:
1) direct the department to adopt specific requirements for the registration and notification processes;
2) require a beekeeper who wishes to receive notification to register his beehives or beeyards with the department by March 1 each year; and
3) authorize the department to make exceptions to the notification requirement.
Under existing regulations, N.J.A.C.7:30-9.11, apiarists may register their apiaries with the DEP, and pesticide applicators are required to notify apiarists prior to applying pesticide products that may be toxic to bees within three miles of a registered apiary. However, the term “apiary” is generally understood only to refer to honey bees and therefore may not be applied to native beehives and beeyards.