Act No. 182 Page 1 of 1
2024
This act summary is provided for the convenience of the public and members of the General Assembly. It
is intended to provide a general summary of the act and may not be exhaustive. It has been prepared by the
staff of the Office of Legislative Counsel without input from members of the General Assembly. It is not
intended to aid in the interpretation of legislation or to serve as a source of legislative intent.
Act No. 182 (H.706). An act relating to banning the use of neonicotinoid pesticides
Subjects: Agriculture; pesticides; neonicotinoid pesticides; prohibition on use
The act prohibits a person, beginning January 1, 2029, from selling, offering for sale
or use, distributing, or using any neonicotinoid treated article seed for soybeans or for any
crop in the cereal grains crop group. The Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
(AAFM) may issue a written exemption order to suspend the prohibition on use of
neonicotinoid treated article seed for a period of not more than one year if the person
seeking the exemption order completes integrated pest management training, submits to
AAFM a completed pest risk assessment report; and any seeds authorized for use under
the order are planted only on property identified in the pest risk assessment report. An
exemption order shall specify the types of neonicotinoid treated article seeds to which the
order applies, the date on which the order takes effect, and the order’s duration. An
exemption order may establish restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid treated article
seeds to minimize harm to pollinator populations, bird populations, ecosystem health, and
public health or establish other restrictions related to the use of neonicotinoid treated
article seeds that AAFM considers necessary.
The act also prohibits a person, beginning July 1, 2025, from using neonicotinoid
pesticides for the following uses: outdoor application of neonicotinoid pesticides to any
crop during bloom; outdoor application of neonicotinoid pesticides to soybeans or any
crop in the cereal grains crop group; outdoor application of neonicotinoid pesticides to
crops in the leafy vegetables, brassica, bulb vegetables, and similar crop groups; and the
application of neonicotinoid pesticides to ornamental plants. AAFM may issue an
exemption order to suspend a prohibition for a period of not more than one year if: a
valid environmental emergency or agricultural emergency, as those terms are defined by
the act, exists; the pesticide would be effective in addressing the environmental
emergency or the agricultural emergency; and no other, less harmful pesticide or pest
management practice would be effective in addressing the environmental emergency or
the agricultural emergency. The exemption order shall specify the neonicotinoid
pesticides, uses, and crops, or plants to which the order applies; the effective date of the
order; and the order’s duration.
The act includes a contingent repeal on the prohibition on the use of neonicotinoid
treated seeds or on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides if similar provisions in New York
are repealed. Likewise, the effective dates provide that the prohibitions on the use of
neonicotinoid treated seeds or on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides will not go into
effect if similar provisions in New York are not in effect and would only go into effect
when the New York provisions become effective.
Multiple effective dates, beginning on June 17, 2024
VT LEG #377350 v.2


Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a
As Passed By the House -- Official: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-912, 6-1103(a), 6-1103, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a
As Passed By the House -- Unofficial: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Official: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-912, 6-1103(a), 6-1103, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a
As Passed by Both House and Senate -- Unofficial: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a
As Enacted: 6-1101, 6-918, 6-1105a(c), 6-1105a