Senate Bill 1405 made amendments to the Healthy Schools Act (HSA) which went into effect on January 1, 2015. Under the new law, public K-12 schools and licensed child care centers (school sites) must meet three new requirements.
These amendments have put extra pressure on schools to train employees, implement IPM plans, and report the materials used to prevent pests at their sites.
Amendment Requirements
By the start of the 2015/2016 school year, if you plan to apply pesticides that are not exempt from the HSA, you must do the following:
1. Develop an IPM Plan
Use the integrated pest management (IPM) Plan provided by the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to develop an IPM plan for your school site or school district. The IPM Plan must be posted on the district’s or school site’s Website, or, if no Website exists, sent out to all parents, guardians, and staff with the annual pesticide notice.
2. Report Pesticide Use
Send pesticide use reports not less than annually to DPR for non-HSA exempt pesticides applied by school employees. Reports are due no later than January 30 for the previous calendar year’s data and must be submitted on a form provided by DPR.
3. Receive IPM Training
After July 1, 2016, you must do the following if you apply any pesticide:
Complete DPR-approved training in school IPM and in the safe use of pesticides in relation to the unique nature of schools and children’s health before applying a pesticide. Each school site’s IPM coordinator and all school or child care center employees who will be applying pesticides must receive this HSA training annually. The approved courses that meet this HSA requirement will be listed on the DPR Web site when available.
The licensed professionals at Advanced Integrated Pest Management have received special training in Healthy Schools Act compliance. With decades of school pest management experience, we are prepared to assist our clients in protecting the staff, students, and families frequenting their institutions. Submit your request for a free quote or give us a call today at (855) 768-0615 to learn more about our HSA-friendly programs!
