Update, August 26, 2024:

While the 2023-24 formal legislative session concluded on July 31st without any of our priority bills advancing to the floor for vote, it's not over yet!... It’s important to remember that during the final hours of the informal session in 2022 we DID have two of our bills pass both chambers, so it’s entirely possible that it could happen again!

It’s important to keep contacting your state legislators about active bills that are important to you: it’s a way to focus their attention, build awareness and support for reform. Even if they are unable to pass the bill, they will be more likely to be our champions and affect change through other means (remember the consumer ban on neonic pesticides we won in 2021?).

Below is a brief listing of our priority bills which are still technically alive and could be advanced before the informal session ends at the end of the 2024 calendar year.

Please use this form to ask your legislators to support final passage on these bills:

Create a Pesticide Reform Task Force (S.521/H.783) – A bill to create a “pesticide control modernization and environmental protection task force” was recommended and “ought to pass” last session and is our top priority this session, as it will help address a host of systemic concerns in a holistic manner.

Modernize Pesticide Reporting AND Protect children from pesticide exposure (S.487/H.825) – This combined bill which was approved by both chambers last year would create an online portal and database for pesticide use reporting records with clear, online public access to the annual data and require that pesticides be proven safe before being used on playgrounds and fields where children (who are especially vulnerable to toxic pesticides) learn and play.

Promote Ecological Mosquito Control (S.445/H.845) – We must end broadscale aerial application of pesticides and support a scientifically based mosquito-borne disease management program to protect public health while minimizing environmental and public health risks associated with some forms of (pesticide-dependent) mosquito control.

Please use this form to send a quick message to your legislators asking them to support the above high priority pesticide reform bills.

Learn more about these and other NOFA/Mass priority bills, here.

We set up this Action Network page to make it as easy as possible for people to send a quick email to their legislators. We encourage everyone to take this simple action… and if you want to be “extra,” pick up the phone and/or write a personalized email after you use this form! (look them up, here)

We don’t need to match the agri-chemical or fossil fuel companies dollar for dollar - we can beat their political capital with people power. (Of course, we appreciate your donations to keep us going!).

We are relying on the strength of this grassroots movement for pesticides reduction, so please: share this alert with your fellow earth-loving gardeners, farmers and food activists! (You might want to subscribe to the NOFA/Mass Policy Newsletter to get future alerts directly.)

Thank you, to all of you who have and will continue to help demonstrate to policy makers the sustained power of this community and the promise of the better world we’re growing together.