The department must set integrated pest management standards for school districts, and school districts must adopt programs, name a coordinator, and report the coordinator’s contact information within 90 days of any change.
Sec. 1951.212. INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The department shall establish standards for an integrated pest management program for the use of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical agents to control pests, rodents, insects, and weeds at the school buildings and other facilities of school districts. (b) The department shall use the structural pest control advisory committee to assist the department in developing the standards for the integrated pest management program. In developing the standards, the advisory committee shall consult with a person knowledgeable in the area of integrated pest management in schools. (c) The department shall include in standards adopted under this section a requirement to use the least toxic methods available to control pests, rodents, insects, and weeds. (d) The department by rule shall establish categories of pesticides that a school district is allowed to apply. For each category, the department shall specify: (1) the minimum distance a school district must maintain between an area where pesticides are being applied and an area where students are present at the time of application; (2) the minimum amount of time a school district is required to wait before allowing students to enter an indoor or outdoor area in a school building or on school grounds for normal academic instruction or organized extracurricular activities after pesticides have been applied; (3) the requirements for posting notice of the indoor and outdoor use of pesticides; (4) the requirements for obtaining approval before applying the pesticide; and (5) the requirements for maintaining records of the application of pesticides. (e) Each school district shall: (1) adopt an integrated pest management program that incorporates the standards established by the department under this section; (2) designate an integrated pest management coordinator for the district; and (3) report to the department not later than the 90th day after the date the district designates or replaces an integrated pest management coordinator the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the district's current coordinator. (f) Each person who is designated as the integrated pest management coordinator for a school district shall successfully complete six hours of continuing education in integrated pest management every three years. (g) The department shall inspect each school district at least once every five years for compliance with this section and may conduct additional inspections based on a schedule of risk-based inspections using the following criteria: (1) whether there has been a prior violation by the school district; (2) the inspection history of the school district; (3) any history of complaints involving the school district; and (4) any other factor determined by the department by rule. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1421, Sec. 4, eff. June 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 890 (H.B. 2458), Sec. 1.26, eff. September 1, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 506 (S.B. 1016), Sec. 7.10, eff. September 1, 2009. SUBCHAPTER F. PUBLIC INTEREST INFORMATION AND COMPLAINT PROCEDURES