Public Act 0496 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB1772 Enrolled LRB103 28768 CPF 55151 b

Public Act 103-0496

AN ACT concerning safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Pesticide Application at Schools Act.

Section 5. Legislative findings. The General Assembly finds that:

(1) schools throughout the State treat school property with pesticides in order to reduce risks to students from noxious weeds, such as thistle, poison ivy, pests, allergies, disease bearing insects, and activities on unlevel playing surfaces;

(2) unless properly applied in accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency's pesticide labels, schools may inadvertently expose children to pesticides; and

(3) it is the purpose of this Act to minimize student exposure to pesticides.

Section 10. Definition. As used in this Act, "school day" has the same meaning given to that term in Section 300.11 of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Section 15. Pesticide application prohibited. Beginning July 1, 2024, a school serving students grades kindergarten through 8th grade is prohibited from scheduling pesticide applications on school grounds during the school day, including during a partial day, when students are in attendance at school for instructional purposes. Areas prohibited from treatment include paved surfaces, playgrounds, and playing fields. This Section shall not apply to areas of school grounds where children are not typically present, including, but not limited to, flower beds and lawns surrounding the school not used as playing fields.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.