Sunset Process - Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. The bill implements some of the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies, as contained in the department's sunset review of the Pesticide Applicators' Act (act), as follows:
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Sections 1 and 2 of the bill continue the act for 11 years, until September 1, 2034;
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Section 3 updates the statutory definition of use to align with the federal definition adopted by the federal environmental protection agency;
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Section 4 increases the maximum civil penalty for a violation of the act from $1,000 to $2,500 for the first violation, which results in the possibility of a maximum civil penalty of $5,000 for a second violation;
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Section 5 requires that money collected for civil penalties imposed under the act be transferred to the general fund;
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Section 6 requires the commissioner of agriculture (commissioner) to publish and periodically update information on the department of agriculture's website about pesticide applicators' licensing and registration;
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Section 7 requires the commissioner to establish an online complaint process;
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Section 8 limits the number of terms that members of the advisory committee may serve to 2 terms, but allows a member representing the Colorado state university agricultural experiment station or extension service (CSU) or the Colorado department of public health and environment (CDPHE) to serve on the advisory committee for unlimited terms during the duration of the member's employment with CSU or CDPHE; and
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Sections 9 to 11 place language in statutes governing local governments that mirrors the language in the act requiring a local government that adopts an ordinance or resolution about pesticides to submit information to the commissioner about the ordinance or resolution.
