Pesticide testing.

The California Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials proposes extending until January 1, 2029, a comprehensive set of pesticide safety monitoring requirements that protect agricultural workers through medical supervision and testing protocols.

The legislation maintains existing requirements for employers to partner with registered medical supervisors who oversee pesticide handlers' health through cholinesterase testing. Laboratories must continue reporting detailed test results monthly to the Department of Pesticide Regulation, including worker information, test purposes, and medical supervisor details. The Department shares this data with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and State Department of Public Health to support health surveillance efforts.

Medical supervisors retain responsibility for documenting test purposes, providing results to workers and employers within 14 days, and reporting concerning cholinesterase depression cases to local health officers within 24 hours. The bill preserves confidentiality provisions while allowing necessary data sharing between agencies for public health activities. OEHHA continues managing medical supervisor registration and providing consultation on test results and pesticide illness investigations.

The two-year extension maintains these worker protection measures without substantive changes to the existing regulatory framework. This allows ongoing collection of health monitoring data while preserving established roles and responsibilities across employers, medical providers, laboratories and government agencies involved in pesticide safety oversight.