Vermont H 758: An act relating to the local property tax exemption for homes and dwellings

Bill Text

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H.758 1
Introduced by Representative Satcowitz of Randolph 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Agriculture; fish and wildlife; rodenticides 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to prohibit the 6
use by any person of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides 7
and all nonanticoagulant rodenticides in the State, including use by commercial 8
applicators. The bill also would ban the sale, including internet sales, of first- 9
and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides and all nonanticoagulant 10
rodenticides in the State. This bill also would authorize exemptions to these 11
prohibitions when needed to control pests for an agricultural emergency, 12
environmental emergency, or significant public health risk when no other pest 13
control method would be effective. 14
An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides 15
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 16
Sec. 1. FINDINGS 17
The General Assembly finds that: 18

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(1) Between 2017 and 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and 1
Prevention reported 40,808 poisonings of humans from rodenticides, most of 2
whom were children under five years of age. 3
(2) In 2024, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 4
Animals’ Animal Poison Control Center reported that 31,570 domestic animals 5
in the United States suffered rodenticide poisoning, and that first-generation, 6
second-generation, and nonanticoagulant rodenticides were the seventh most 7
common toxin poisoning domestic animals. 8
(3) Wildlife such as raptors, fishers, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and lynx 9
help regulate and control rodent populations and are essential to Vermont’s 10
ecosystems. From 2018 through 2022, the Vermont Department of Fish and 11
Wildlife tested fisher carcasses for rodenticide exposure and all had exposure 12
to at least one or more rodenticides. From 2021 through 2022, the Department 13
tested bobcat carcasses and found anticoagulant rodenticide exposure in 21 out 14
of 29 carcasses tested. 15
(4) Components of rodenticides can bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife, 16
aggregately and indirectly affecting species that are not the target of the 17
rodenticides. 18
(5) First- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides and 19
nonanticoagulant rodenticides can poison, harm, and kill rodents’ natural 20

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predators, thereby counteracting the regulation and control that natural 1
predators of rodents provide. 2
(6) The State of Vermont holds fish and wildlife in the State in trust for 3
the benefit of the citizens of Vermont pursuant to 10 V.S.A. § 4081. 4
Sec. 2. 6 V.S.A. § 911 is amended to read: 5
§ 911. DEFINITIONS 6
As used in this chapter: 7
* * * 8
(4) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. 9
(5) “Economic poison” means: 10
(A) any substance produced, distributed, or used for preventing, 11
destroying, or repelling any insects, rodents, nematodes, fungi, weeds, or other 12
forms of plant or animal life or viruses, except viruses on or in living humans 13
or other animals, that the Secretary shall declare to be a pest; or 14
(B) any substance produced, distributed, or used as a plant regulator, 15
defoliant, or desiccant. 16
* * * 17
(18) “Rodenticide” means any substance or mixture of substances 18
intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating rodents or any 19
other vertebrate animal that the Secretary shall declare to be a pest. 20
* * * 21

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(29) “Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide” means any 1
rodenticide containing any one of the following active ingredients: 2
brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone. 3
(30) “First-generation anticoagulant rodenticide” means any rodenticide 4
containing any one of the following active ingredients: chlorophacinone, 5
diphacinone, or warfarin. 6
(31) “Nonanticoagulant rodenticide” means any rodenticide containing 7
any one of the following active ingredients: bromethalin, cholecalciferol, or 8
zinc phosphide. 9
Sec. 3. 6 V.S.A. § 918 is amended to read: 10
§ 918. REGISTRATION 11
(a) Every economic poison that is distributed, sold, or offered for sale 12
within this State or delivered for transportation or transported in intrastate 13
commerce or between points within this State through any point outside this 14
State shall be registered in the Office of the Secretary, and such registration 15
shall be renewed annually, provided that products that have the same formula 16
are manufactured by the same person, the labeling of which contains the same 17
claims, and the labels of which bear a designation identifying the product as 18
the same economic poison may be registered as a single economic poison, and 19
additional names and labels sha