The Healthy Schools Act:
What’s Mandatory?
What’s Voluntary?
Contents
- A Summary of What’s Mandatory
- A Summary of What’s Voluntary
- Mandatory Components-The Details
- Education Code provisions of the Healthy Schools Act
- Food and Agricultural Code provisions of HSA
- Voluntary Components-The Details
Mandatory Components - Summary
What’s Mandatory
- Annual written notification to all school staff and parents identifying all pesticidal products (with some exceptions) expected to be applied in the upcoming year.
- The opportunity for interested staff and parents to register with the school district if they want to be notified of individual pesticide applications at the school before these occur.
- Posting warning signs at each area of the school where pesticides will be applied 24 hours before and 72 hours after applications.
- Maintaining records of pesticide use at the school for four years and making the records available to the public.
- Reporting of pesticide applications at school sites by licensed pest control businesses at least annually to the DPR, on special forms to be provided.
What’s Voluntary
- Adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) programs and effective least-toxic pest management practices at schools.
- Appropriate training in IPM for school personnel involved in pesticide application.
Education Code provisions of the Healthy Schools Act
- Each school district shall annually provide written notification to all school staff and parents identifying all pesticidal products (with some exceptions) it expects will be applied by district staff or an outside contractor in the upcoming year, and the Internet address to DPR’s School IPM Program Web site (http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/). (One way the school district may accomplish this is by including the information in written notices it already provides annually to staff and parents.)
- Each school shall provide the opportunity for interested staff and parents to register with the school district if they want to be notified of individual pesticide applications at the school before they occur.
- The school district shall post warning signs at each area of the school where pesticides will be applied 24 hours before and 72 hours after applications. Their placement should inform everyone that the area has been treated.
- Each school shall maintain records of all pesticide use at the school for four years and make the records available to the public upon request. Records should be kept of pesticides used by district staff or an outside contractor.
Food and Agricultural Code provisions of HSA
- Licensed and certified pest control operators (PCOs) shall report pesticide applications by school annually to DPR beginning with applications made on or after January 1, 2002.
- DPR shall prepare a school pesticide use reporting form to be used by PCOs when they apply any pesticides at a school. PCOs must submit the form at least annually to DPR.
- DPR shall establish and maintain a school IPM Web site that contains information on pesticidal products, a comprehensive directory of resources describing and promoting IPM practices at schools, a model program guidebook, and ways to reduce the use of pesticides at school facilities. It must also provide the public with information about public health and environmental impacts of pesticides.
- DPR shall promote and facilitate the voluntary adoption of IPM programs for school
districts that voluntarily choose to do so, while it assists all school districts to comply with
the new provisions of the Education Code. For these school districts, the department
shall do all of the following:
- Establish an IPM program for school districts. In establishing the program, the
department shall:
- Develop criteria for identifying least-hazardous pest control practices and encourage their adoption as part of an IPM program at each school.
- Develop a model program guidebook that prescribes essential program elements
for a school district that has adopted a least-hazardous IPM program. At a minimum,
this guidebook shall include guidance on all of the following:
- Adopting an IPM policy.
- Selecting and training an IPM coordinator.
- Identifying and monitoring pest populations and damage.
- Establishing a community-based school district advisory committee.
- Developing a pest management plan for making least-hazardous pest control choices.
- Contracting for integrated pest management services.
- Training and licensing opportunities.
- Establishing a community-based right-to-know standard for notification and posting of pesticide applications.
- Recordkeeping and program review.
- Make the model program guidebook available to school districts and establish a process for systematically updating the guidebook and supporting documentation.
- Establish an IPM program for school districts. In establishing the program, the
department shall:
- DPR shall establish and maintain an Internet Web site as a comprehensive directory of resources describing and promoting least-hazardous practices at schools. The Web site shall also make available an electronic copy of the model program guidebook, its updates, and supporting documentation. DPR shall also establish and maintain on its Web site an easily identified link that provides the public with all appropriate information regarding the public health and environmental impacts of pesticidal active ingredients and ways to reduce the use of pesticides at school facilities.
It is the policy of the state that effective least-toxic pest management practices should be the preferred method of managing pests at schools and that the state, in order to reduce children’s exposure to toxic pesticides, shall take the necessary steps to facilitate the adoption of effective least-toxic pest management practices at schools.
It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage appropriate training to be provided to school personnel involved in the application of pesticide at a schoolsite. This would be in addition to trainings in pesticide safety (which are already required under CCR 6724).