PCL is celebrating the successful passage of AB 1788. This bill, which bans the use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) in California, was signed by Governor Newsom last week. This was a long and hard-fought battle and PCL is proud to be a part of it.

AB 1788 was introduced at the beginning of last year by Assembly Member Bloom. Studies have repeatedly shown that the effects of SGARs extend outside of just impacting rodents and are found in 70%-90% of all of the tested wildlife. The initial bill proposed to ban the use of SGARs in most circumstances, excluding places where strong pest control is needed, such as agricultural warehouses or food production sites. However, this bill was met with strong opposition from pest control operators and medical researchers who argued they needed to use SGARs to comply with strict public safety regulations. Eventually, the opposition grew to the point that the bill was tabled a year while the author worked with the opposition to address their concerns.

Due to Covid-19, the legislative session was disorganized and this bill did not return until the end of the legislative session. The new amendments were the result of a long negotiation process with the opposition which led to more exemptions to the ban of rodenticides, including their use in medical research facilities. The ban was also turned into a moratorium that could be overturned by the Department of Pesticide Control if they adopted SGAR standards that were protective of wildlife. However, now that opposition lessened as a result of these amendments, legislators were more interested in supporting the measure, and eventually, it ended up at the Governor’s desk. 

PCL is glad to have supported the measure throughout the whole process through our letters and comments in support of the bill. We are also very thankful for our members, who helped us pass this measure through numerous emails and calls to their Representatives. Thank you for being a voice for wildlife!