Farm Worker Health Bill Passes Senate Committee

A bill authored by Assemblymember Pedro Nava that would require the bosses of farm workers who load, mix, and apply pesticides to supply state agencies with employee health reports successfully passed the Senate Appropriations Committee this week. Called the Farm Worker Health Act, the bill would augment a piece of outdated 1973 legislation that makes employers test for the presence of pesticides and toxic chemicals in their workers’ bodies, but doesn’t require them to pass results on to any state health agencies. The measure now moves to the state senate floor for consideration.