C.S.S.B. 759 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 759 By: Brimer Agriculture & Livestock Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, pest control measures on a county right-of-way may not be performed by county personnel unless they hold, or are under the direct supervision of a person who holds, a commercial or noncommercial applicator license. C.S.S.B. 759 allows political subdivisions to limit hours of training for an employee conducting larval mosquito control on property owned or controlled by the subdivision using biological pesticides approved for general use by the Texas Department of Health. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.S.B. 759 amends both the Agriculture Code and the Occupations Code to allow a political subdivision to reduce the number of hours of training for an employee conducting larval mosquito control on property owned or controlled by the political subdivision using biological pesticides approved for general use by the Texas Department of Health provided the employee is given instructions that are adequate to ensure the safe and effective use of the pesticides. EFFECTIVE DATE June 1, 2003, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The original senate version exempted an employee of a political subdivision who does not hold a commercial or noncommercial applicator license from training to apply a general use pesticide in an incidental use situation. The substitute allows a political subdivision to reduce the number of hours of training, provided the employee is given instructions that are adequate to ensure the safe and effective use of the pesticides.