An Act To Update the Board of Pesticides Control
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1471-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 466, Pt. B, §17, is further amended to read:
1. Board established. The Board of Pesticides Control is established by Title 5, section 12004-D, subsection 3 , within the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. Except as provided in this chapter, the board must be composed of 7 members, appointed by the Governor, subject to approval by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over agricultural matters and confirmation by the Senate. To provide the knowledge and experience necessary for carrying out the duties of the board, the board must consist of the following members: one person with practical experience and knowledge regarding the agricultural use of chemicals in agriculture; one person who has with practical experience and knowledge regarding the use of chemicals in forest management; one person from the medical community; a one scientist from the University of Maine System specializing in agronomy or entomology having practical experience and knowledge of integrated pest management; one commercial applicator with practical experience and knowledge regarding structural pest management; and 2 persons appointed to represent the public. The 2 members appointed to represent the public must have a demonstrated interest in practical experience and knowledge regarding environmental protection and represent different geographic areas of the State. The term must be for 4 years, except that of the initial appointees, 2 shall serve 4-year terms, 2 shall serve 3-year terms, 2 shall serve 2-year terms and one shall serve a one-year term. Any vacancy must be filled by an appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §1471-B, sub-§9 is enacted to read:
9. Endorsement of nominees. The board may not express support for or opposition to nominees to the board.
summary
This bill clarifies and makes consistent the language describing the qualifications for members of the Board of Pesticides Control. The bill clarifies that the member who is a commercial applicator must have expertise in structural pest management. The bill prohibits the board from advocating for or against nominees to the board.