HSA Requirements Reminders: Getting Started

California Department of Pesticide Regulation sent this bulletin at 07/15/2024 10:00 AM PDT

Healthy Schools Act Requirements Reminder: Getting Started

July 2024

The Healthy Schools Act is a California law that requires specific actions when pesticides are used at public K - 12 schools and public and private child care centers—collectively known as schoolsites. The law also encourages the use of integrated pest management (IPM) practices at schoolsites. IPM is any approach that uses the least toxic, effective method to solve pest problems.

Below are the requirements of the law that should be addressed at the beginning of the school year.

Choose an IPM Coordinator

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Coordinator is the designated person responsible for making sure the Healthy Schools Act requirements are met. Many public K - 12 schools and public and private child care centers, collectively known as schoolsites, choose the maintenance and operations director or child care center director as their IPM Coordinator. Their contact information is included on the IPM Plan.

Post an IPM Plan

The IPM Coordinator develops an IPM Plan by collaborating with others, such as schoolsite staff and pest management professionals, to identify pest management needs and apply IPM practices.

The plan must be posted to the schoosite's or district's website or be included with the annual notification sent to parents and guardians.

What needs to be on the IPM Plan?

The name of the schoolsite's IPM Coordinator.
All pesticides expected to be used by schoolsite staff and pest management professionals.
A date when the plan will be reviewed and revised, if necessary.

School District IPM Plan Template, PDF | En Español, PDF

Child Care Centers IPM Plan Template, PDF | En Español, PDF

Annual Training

Schoolsite staff who intend to apply a pesticide must first complete a Healthy Schools Act training course and annually thereafter.

DPR offers free, online training courses in English and Spanish on the DPR Healthy Schools Act training website. The courses provide training in IPM and the safe use of pesticides in relation to the unique nature of schoolsites and children's health. Choose a course that best matches your job duties.

Send Annual Notification

The Annual Notification is a list of all pesticides and their active ingredients expected to be applied during the school year by schoolsite staff and pest management professionals. Including Healthy Schools Act Exempt Pesticides in this list is optional.

The notification must be provided annually at the beginning of the school year to parents, guardians, and staff. Many schoolsites choose to include it in their parent handbook.

What needs to be in the notification?

List of all pesticides expected to be used by schoolsite staff and pest management professionals and their active ingredients.
Link to the DPR website.
Opportunity for recipients to register to receive advance notifications about individual pesticide applications.

Annual Notification Template, PDF | En Español, PDF

Send Individual Notification Registry

Within the Annual Notification, schoolsites must provide parents, guardians, and staff the opportunity to register to receive advanced notifications for individual pesticide applications. The people on the registry must receive notifications at least 72 hours before each pesticide application.

The schoolsite can decide what format of communication is best for those on the registry. Examples include phone call, email, or hardcopy.

What needs to be on the individual notification?

Pesticide product name
Active ingredient(s)
Intended date for the application

Notification for Pesticide Application Template, PDF | En Español, PDF

Pesticide Use Reporting

The Healthy Schools Act requires each school or child care
center to report pesticide applications made by school staff to DPR. This includes weed-killing pesticides.

Report Form for School and Child Care Center Staff

Pest management businesses report their own schoolsite
pesticide applications.

HSA compliance packet for school districts

Select the thumbnail to access the Healthy Schools Act Compliance Packet for School Districts.

Select the thumbnail to access the Healthy Schools Act Compliance Packet for Child Care Centers.

HSA compliance packet for child care centers

For more information, select the thumbnail to view the Healthy Schools Act Frequently Asked Questions document.

What is IPM?

Integrated pest management, or IPM, is a safer, more sustainable strategy you can use everyday. IPM focuses on a variety of pest prevention and non-toxic or least-toxic pest management techniques to effectively solve pest problems. IPM strategies use practices that exclude pests so they can’t cause problems and use pesticides only as a last resort. By using integrated pest management practices, it’s possible to effectively, safely, and more sustainably manage pests at your school or child care center while protecting staff, children, and the environment.

Follow DPR's social media outlets throughout the year to learn more!

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Questions? Contact Us:

Please contact the Department of Pesticide Regulation’s School & Child Care Integrated Pest Management Program by emailing school-ipm@cdpr.ca.gov. For additional information about the School & Child Care Integrated Pest Management Program please visit DPR’s website.

Who We Are

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation protects human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to monitor and manage the sale and use of pesticides across the state. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting scientific evaluation of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment, investing in innovative research to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, conducting outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to safety information, and enforcing pesticide regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors.

DPR website

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