MACo Legal and Policy Counsel Les Knapp offered amendments to legislation on mosquito spraying before the House Environment and Transportation Committee on February 7, 2018. HB 400, sponsored by Delegate James (Jimmy) Tarlau, would require the State, a county, or a bi-county agency to provide at least 24 hours notice to a municipality before spraying for mosquitoes within the boundaries of the municipality. The State, county, or bi-county agency must provide the municipality the location of spraying and the planned date and time of the spraying.
From MACo’s testimony:
MACo supports the bill’s 24-hour notice requirement and believes this is current practice for most counties when conducting routine spraying. However, MACo is requesting an amendment that would waive the 24-hour notice when the State or a county or bi-county agency needs to move rapidly to control an outbreak of a virus, contagion, or similar public health threat. A government should not have to wait 24 hours before addressing a potential Zika Virus or West Nile Virus outbreak. In such a circumstance, the State, county, or bi-county agency should provide notice to the municipality as soon as practicable.
Committee Chair Kumar Barve asked Tarlau if the MACo amendment was fine and Tarlau responded that he was okay with the amendment.
There is no Senate cross-file to HB 400.
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