Bill > S138

Introduced Session

This bill requires pest inspections prior to certain building demolitions in order to prevent pest infestations from migrating to adjacent buildings. The bill requires either a health officer or another local health agency employee, certified by the State Department of Health, or a commercial pesticide applicator, certified by the State Department of Environmental Protection for general and household pest control, to inspect certain buildings for mice, rats, roaches, and other pests before the demolition, and to issue a certification indicating that pests are not present within or on the perimeter of the building at levels that place any nearby building at risk for infestation. If a severe pest presence does exist in the building to be demolished, then the pesticide applicator or local health agency shall be required to ensure that extermination takes place in the building prior to issuing the certification. Under the bill, no certification shall be required prior to demolition if no other building exists that is both located within 10 feet of the building to be demolished, and is on a different property. The inspection shall occur within two months of the construction permit issuance for demolition, and the certification shall be filed with the construction official before the issuance of the permit. Any certification that is issued by a pesticide applicator shall be filed with the health officer, in addition to the construction official, no later than five days before the construction permit issuance. At any time before construction permit issuance, the health officer may disapprove of the pesticide applicator's certification, and require a new inspection and new extermination be conducted before construction permit issuance. Certification shall not be required before demolition if the construction official determines that an immediate danger is posed by a structurally unsafe building. The construction permit applicant shall be responsible for the cost of any pest inspection and extermination required by this bill. The requirements of this bill would become operational on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.

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Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document