An Act To Require Certification of Private Applicators of General Use Pesticides
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0975
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: DILL, SHERMAN, BLACK, CRAY, O'BRIEN, TIMBERLAKE, SCHNEIDER
Amends: 22 MRSA §1471-C, 22 MRSA §1471-D, 22 MRSA §1471-M

Legislative Document 
No. 975 
H.P. 719 
House of Representatives, March 8, 2011 
An Act To Require Certification of Private Applicators of General 
Use Pesticides 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DILL of Old Town. 
Cosponsored by Senator SHERMAN of Aroostook and 
Representatives: BLACK of Wilton, CRAY of Palmyra, McCABE of Skowhegan, O'BRIEN 
of Lincolnville, TIMBERLAKE of Turner, Senator: SCHNEIDER of Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1471-C, sub-§22-A is enacted to read: 
22-A.  Private applicator of general use pesticides.  "Private applicator of general 
use pesticides" means a person who uses or supervises the use of general use pesticides 
for purposes of producing agricultural commodities on property owned or rented by that 
person or that person's employer when: 
A.  The agricultural commodities produced are intended for human consumption as 
food; and 
B.  The person applying the pesticides or the employer of the person applying the 
pesticides derives $1,000 or more in annual income from the sale of those 
commodities. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §1471-D, sub-§2-D is enacted to read: 
2-D.  Certification required; private applicator of general use pesticides for food 
production.  A private applicator of general use pesticides may not use or supervise the 
use of general use pesticides for food production without prior certification from the 
board, except that a competent person who is not certified may use such a pesticide under 
the direct supervision of a certified applicator. 
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §1471-M, sub-§1, ¶C-1 is enacted to read: 
C-1.  Establish standards for the certification and renewal of certification of private 
applicators of general use pesticides.  Such standards must require that the private 
applicator of general use pesticides indicate satisfactory knowledge of pest problems 
and pest control practices, including as a minimum the ability to recognize common 
pests and the damage they cause, to understand the pesticide label and to apply 
pesticides in accordance with label instructions and warnings. 
Sec. 4.  Board of Pesticides Control to establish certification 
requirements.  No later than January 1, 2012, the Department of Agriculture, Food and 
Rural Resources, Board of Pesticides Control shall adopt rules under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 1471-M, subsection 1, paragraph C-1 establishing certification 
requirements for private applicators of general use pesticides under Title 22, section 
1471-D, subsection 2-D. 
Sec. 5.  Effective date.  That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22,  section 1471-D, subsection 2-D takes effect April 1, 2012. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires certification of private applicators using general use pesticides in 
the commercial production of food intended for human consumption beginning April 1, 
2012.  It directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Board of 
Pesticides Control to establish certification requirements by rule no later than January 1, 
2012.