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Restricting the Use of Rodenticides in the Environment

S. 644/H. 965: An Act restricting the use of rodenticides in the environment

MSPCA Position: Support
Sponsors:
Representative Jim Hawkins and Senator Mike Moore
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources


This owl’s family unknowingly fed on rodents who had ingested rat bait that contained second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) and over the course of a week they succumbed to its deadly effects. Photo: New England Wildlife Center

Overview: This legislation would restrict the use of Anticoagulant Rodenticides (ARs) in Massachusetts to protect wildlife, pets, people, and the environment.

What this bill will do: This bill will end the registration and reregistration of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs), unless deemed necessary for a public health emergency by the Massachusetts Department of agriculture and resources (MDAR). This bill also gives the department the ability to establish a process and standards for the limited use of anticoagulant rodenticides by licensed applicators in public health emergencies.

Why is this legislation needed? Anticoagulant Rodenticides (ARs) are a particularly toxic group of poisons used as a form of rodent control. When ingested, ARs prevent the clotting of blood, and cause the animal who ingested it to sustain heavy internal bleeding, eventually causing death. The poison remains in the dead or dying rodent’s system for days. These poisons are broken into two categories: first generation known as FGARs (Chlorophacinone, Diphacinonon, and Warfarin) and second generation known as SGARs (Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone Difenacoum, and Difethialone). First-generation anticoagulant rodenticides last for approximately 7 days in an animal’s system, but SGARs are more potent and generally last for 4 weeks, making them more dangerous to other animals who ingest poisoned prey.

ARs impact non-targeted pets and wildlife populations, such as birds of prey, who rely on the poisoned rodents as a food source. As a result, the cats and dogs, hawks, eagles, owls, and bobcats who are exposed often suffer the same fatal hemorrhaging as their meal.

While ARs are prohibited for residential consumer purchase in the Commonwealth, commercial use is allowed for licensed pesticide companies.

Do you have a rodent problem?


In the news:

Additional Resources:


Note: Pesticide Issues/Complaints/Questions can be left on the MDAR Pesticide Division Enforcement phone line at 617-626-1782. This is a recorded line. Please leave a message and an Inspector will return the call. Or if preferred the Complaint Form can be completed and submitted. Please use the following link: https://www.mass.gov/forms/pesticide-enforcement-complaint-form

Co-Sponsors

Updated 4/10/2025

State Senators:

Name District/Address
Michael O. Moore Second Worcester
Paul W. Mark Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire
Joanne M. Comerford Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Mark C. Montigny Second Bristol and Plymouth
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester
John J. Cronin Worcester and Middlesex
Mark C. Montigny Second Bristol and Plymouth
Dylan A. Fernandes Plymouth and Barnstable
Jacob R. Oliveira Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester
Edward J. Kennedy First Middlesex
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex
Patricia D. Jehlen Second Middlesex
Michael J. Barrett Third Middlesex
Cindy F. Friedman Fourth Middlesex
Bruce E. Tarr First Essex and Middlesex
Joan B. Lovely Second Essex
Patrick M. O’Connor First Plymouth and Norfolk
Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex and Suffolk

State Representatives:

Name District/Address
James K. Hawkins 2nd Bristol
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex
David T. Vieira 3rd Barnstable
Steven Owens 29th Middlesex
Kristin E. Kassner 2nd Essex
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. 12th Hampden
Marc T. Lombardo 22nd Middlesex
James Arciero 2nd Middlesex
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex
Jennifer Balinsky Armini 8th Essex
Michelle L. Badger 1st Plymouth
Christine P. Barber 34th Middlesex
John Barrett, III 1st Berkshire
Natalie M. Blais 1st Franklin
Simon Cataldo 14th Middlesex
Michelle L. Ciccolo 15th Middlesex
Mike Connolly 26th Middlesex
Manny Cruz 7th Essex
Leigh Davis 3rd Berkshire
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex
Kip A. Diggs 2nd Barnstable
Mindy Domb 3rd Hampshire
Kate Donaghue 19th Worcester
Daniel M. Donahue 16th Worcester
Patricia A. Duffy 5th Hampden
Rodney M. Elliott 16th Middlesex
Kimberly N. Ferguson 1st Worcester
Christopher Richard Flanagan 1st Barnstable
William C. Galvin 6th Norfolk
Sean Garballey 23rd Middlesex
Colleen M. Garry 36th Middlesex
John R. Gaskey 2nd Plymouth
Carlos González 10th Hampden
Kenneth I. Gordon 21st Middlesex
Richard M. Haggerty 30th Middlesex
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester
Kevin G. Honan 17th Suffolk
Tara T. Hong 18th Middlesex
Vanna Howard 17th Middlesex
Steven S. Howitt 4th Bristol
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. 20th Middlesex
Hannah Kane 11th Worcester
Patrick Joseph Kearney 4th Plymouth
Sally P. Kerans 13th Essex
Michael P. Kushmerek 3rd Worcester
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf 17th Worcester
David Paul Linsky 5th Middlesex
Jay D. Livingstone 8th Suffolk
Hadley Luddy 4th Barnstable
William F. MacGregor 10th Suffolk
Adrian C. Madaro 1st Suffolk
John J. Marsi 6th Worcester
Joseph D. McKenna 18th Worcester
Paul McMurtry 11th Norfolk
Joan Meschino 3rd Plymouth
Thomas W. Moakley Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket
Samantha Montaño 15th Suffolk
John Francis Moran 9th Suffolk
David K. Muradian, Jr. 9th Worcester
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester
Tram T. Nguyen 18th Essex
Adrianne Pusateri Ramos 14th Essex
Sean Reid 11th Essex
David M. Rogers 24th Middlesex
John H. Rogers 12th Norfolk
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire
Aaron L. Saunders 7th Hampden
Adam J. Scanlon 14th Bristol
Margaret R. Scarsdale 1st Middlesex
Greg Schwartz 12th Middlesex
Danillo A. Sena 37th Middlesex
Todd M. Smola 1st Hampden
Thomas M. Stanley 9th Middlesex
Erika Uyterhoeven 27th Middlesex
Marcus S. Vaughn 9th Norfolk
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk
Thomas P. Walsh 12th Essex
Steven George Xiarhos 5th Barnstable
Jonathan D. Zlotnik 2nd Worcester

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