Act No. 145 Page 1 of 1
2022
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. 145 (H.626). Agriculture; pesticides; pollinator health; neonicotinoid
treated seed
An act relating to the sale, use, or application of neonicotinoid pesticides
This act requires the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets (Secretary),
after consultation with the Agricultural Innovation Board, to adopt by rule best
management practices (BMPs) for the use of neonicotinoid treated article seeds in
the State. “Neonicotinoid treated article seeds” are defined by the act as treated
article seeds that are treated or coated with a neonicotinoid pesticide. In
developing the rules, the Secretary is required to address specific issues, including
establishment of threshold levels of pest pressure required prior to use of
neonicotinoid treated article seeds, availability of nontreated article seeds,
economic impact from crop loss as compared to crop yield when neonicotinoid
treated article seeds are used, relative toxicities of different neonicotinoid treated
article seeds, and the effects of neonicotinoid treated article seeds on human
health and the environment. The act requires the Secretary to submit a copy of
the proposed rules to the General Assembly prior to the final filing of the rules
under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The act also requires the Agricultural Innovation Board to submit to the
General Assembly a report regarding whether BMPs should be adopted for the
use of treated article seeds that are not neonicotinoid treated article seeds. In
addition, the act requires the Secretary to monitor managed pollinator health to
establish pollinator health benchmarks for Vermont, including presence of
pesticides in hives, mite pressure, disease pressure, mite control methods, genetic
influence on survival, winter survival rate, and forage availability. The act
authorizes the creation of two new positions at the Agency of Agriculture, Food
and Markets to staff the Agency’s Residuals Management Program.
Effective Date: July 1, 2022.
VT LEG #363553 v.2


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