Statewide — A bill authored by State Senator Jean Leising that would address the enforcement of pesticide violations unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture today.
Under current law, the state chemist may impose a civil penalty to individuals who misuse pesticides based on a schedule of civil penalties that the Indiana Pesticide Review Board created.
Senate Bill 227, if passed, would replace the schedule of civil penalties created by the Indiana Pesticide Review Board with a comprehensive list of violations for which the state chemist may impose a civil penalty of $250, $500, and $1,000, depending on severity. SB 227 would also grant the state chemist the ability to adjust a civil penalty by 20% for certain violations if the person responsible for the violation takes mitigating action. Low-level violations may only incur a fee if a warning has been issued to the violator within five years of the latest incident.
To learn more about SB 227, click here.
