HB 355 -- Pesticides

Co-Sponsors:  Myers, King, Whorton, Merideth

Currently, anyone who sells or commercially transports pesticides
pays an annual $15 registration fee for each product to the
General Revenue Fund.  This bill adds to the annual fee an
additional $100 and changes the late renewal penalty from $5 to
$50.  For each registration, $15 is credited to the General
Revenue Fund and the remainder is deposited in the Pesticide
Project Fund.  If the unobligated balance of the Pesticide
Project Fund exceeds $3 million, registration fees are reduced
temporarily to $15 until the fee fund balance reaches $1 million.
Pesticides must be registered as new products if there is a
change in company name, trade name, active ingredient,
concentration, or federal registration number.

The Pesticide Project Fund is administered by the Plant
Industries Division of the Department of Agriculture.  Up to 20%
of the fund may be used for administration and pesticide
registration.  Beginning July 1, 2004, up to 80% of the fund may
be used for designated projects, including pesticide education,
applicator training, pesticide and water quality monitoring,
container disposal initiatives, integrated pest management, and
applied research on integrated pest management and water quality
improvement programs related to pesticide use at the University
of Missouri Agricultural Research Stations and state
universities.

Allocation of project funds requires an executed memorandum of
understanding between the department and the applicant.  Before
each fiscal year, applicants must submit proposals to the
Pesticide Project Fund Grant Review Committee by March 31.
Recipients must submit a project report within 30 days after the
end of the fiscal year.  Project revenue that is not spent or
obligated reverts to the fund within 60 days after the project is
completed.  Recipients who fail to complete their projects as
intended are to remit partial or full repayments.  The department
will provide an annual report to the chairpersons of the House of
Representatives Agriculture and the Senate Agriculture, Parks,
and Tourism Committees, or their successors.

The Pesticide Project Fund Grant Review Committee is created by
the bill.  Committee membership requirements, appointment, terms,
and compensation are provided in the bill.

The Pesticide Project Fund provisions of the bill are to
terminate January 1, 2008, and all unused moneys in the fund are
to be deposited in the General Revenue Fund.

The bill also allows the department to deny, cancel, suspend, or
revoke the registration of a pesticide if the product is found to
be harmful to humans or the environment.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:11 am