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Protect School Children From Experimental Pesticides
Pesticides contain toxic substances, many of which are detrimental to human health and can cause developmental deficiencies in children. Even so, California law currently allows pesticide products that do not have full state testing or approval to be applied on school sites. This glaring oversight in the law may expose school children, teachers and other members of the public to unknown health risks. Assembly Bill 405 (Montañez) will protect the health and safety of more than six million school children, and thousands of teachers and school employees, by prohibiting experimental or conditional-use pesticides in California's K-12 public schools.
Historically, pesticide products that have conditional state registration or experimental-use permits have been sold and used for years without completing outstanding data disclosure requirements. This significant flaw allows chemicals with incomplete testing to be used on school sites, increasing the exposure potential to pupils. Missing data typically includes information about metabolic impacts, residue, risk assessment, leaching, receptor dosage, application and resistance studies.
Children are more susceptible to these hazards than adults. Pesticides can disrupt the immune and reproductive systems of children, who can also suffer neurological damage as a result of pesticide exposure.
AB 405 takes simple measures to protect the health of school children, teachers, and staff:
- The bill prevents exposure to experimental and/or insufficiently tested pesticide products by prohibiting the use of experimental or new pesticides without full registration on school sites.
- AB 405 also prohibits the use of pesticide products on school sites for which registration has been canceled, suspended, or marked for phase-out.
Under AB 405, hundreds of fully registered products will continue to be allowed on school sites, including products to address all health and safety emergencies. AB 405 will protect California public school children, teachers, workers and community members from products whose full effects are unknown.
