Governor Signs Bill On New Pesticide Rules For Schools

SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill creating more-stringent guidelines for California schools in their use of pesticides.

Brown signed SB1405 on Monday, about a month after it unanimously passed both houses of the Legislature.

The bill's author Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, a Democrat from Concord who has twice tried to get similar bills passed, says it will make sure that if pesticides must be used on campuses, they'll be applied in the safest ways possible.

The bill requires that school sites report all pesticide use to the state. Current law only requires reporting from professional pesticide applicators.

It also requires anyone who uses pesticides on school sites to undergo annual training on safe use and other methods of managing pests.