Assembly Delays Vote Limiting Pesticide Exposure

A bill that would have limited children's pesticide exposure on playing fields in New Jersey has died in the state Legislature.

The "Child Safe Playing Field Act" would have prohibited the use of most lawn pesticides on recreational fields at K-8th grade schools and day care center playgrounds. Low-impact organic pesticide applications would have been allowed, and there was an exception that would have allowed stronger pesticides during emergencies.

The Senate had previously advanced the measure.

But it died Monday when the Assembly failed to take action on it. So proponents will have to reintroduce it in the new legislative session that starts Tuesday.

A similar law in New York state covers just school grounds where students are in grades K-12, while Connecticut's version is limited to K-8 schools.