Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires certain retailers to post signs regarding risks to pollinators associated with use of pesticides.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the sale of pesticides and supplementing Title 13 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. A retail establishment that sells or offers for sale a pesticide shall post a sign where the pesticide is displayed informing customers of the risks to pollinators associated with the use of pesticides.
b. A retail establishment that violates the provisions of subsection a. of this section shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500, which may be collected and enforced by the Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety in a summary proceeding pursuant to the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section.
c. The Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to implement the provisions of this section.
d. As used in this section:
"Pesticide" means the same as that term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1971, c.176 (C.13:1F-3).
"Retail establishment" means any place of business where merchandise is displayed or offered for sale at retail to members of the public.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill would require every retail establishment in the State to post a sign where pesticides are displayed for sale informing customers of the risks to pollinators associated with the use of pesticides. A retail establishment that fails to post a sign would be subject to a civil penalty of $500.
According to the Xerces
Society for Invertebrate Conservation—a nonprofit organization specializing in
the conservation of invertebrate animals and their habitats—many pesticides harm
pollinators by reducing their food supply and negatively affecting their reproduction,
navigation, and memory. If exposed to a high enough dose, bees and other
pollinators can be killed by coming
into contact with pesticides. According to "High Levels of Miticides and Agrochemicals in North American Apiaries: Implications for Honey Bee Health," a study published in the journal PLOS One, almost 60 percent of bee wax and pollen samples tested in 2007 contained at least one pesticide.