While pest management professionals will certainly face new regulatory challenges in 2023, the new year also brings an opportunity for the pest control industry to earn a victory in a long-fought battle: Congressional codification of state level pesticide preemption.

At this year’s NPMA Legislative Day, set for March 22-24, the goal of Capitol Hill visits will be to urge the 118th Congress to codify the role of state lead agencies as co-regulators of pesticides alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Currently, 46 states have preemption, meaning the state lead agency preempts local government when it comes to determining how pest control products and services are employed. PMPs who operate in states without preemption (Alaska, Maine, Maryland and Nevada) are challenged with having to comply with different laws and regulations in each of the communities they service.

Darr, along with NPMA President Justin McCauley (president of McCauley Services, Bryant, Ark.), recently met with John Boozman (R-AR), who is the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, to discuss preemption. 

McCauley said that preemption is important to pest control companies across the country — both large and small — because local regulation of pesticides makes it extremely difficult to plan routes, schedule technicians, purchase products and provide the best quality service to customers.

By ensuring that only one single state-level agency (and not local counties, cities or towns) can regulate pesticides, it not only helps businesses run better, but also allows pest management professionals to use all EPA-approved tools at their disposal to protect public health, food and property.