Rhode Island Rodenticide Restrictions Clear General Assembly

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Last week, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed HB 7222 and SB 2795, companion bills that would significantly restrict the sale and use of certain rodenticides statewide. The bills now move the desk of Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee.

The legislation would phase out consumer access to first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides beginning in 2027 and second-generation products beginning in 2028. By 2029, use of those rodenticides would largely be prohibited, with exemptions for public health, agriculture, food production and other limited applications.

As reported in an article in the Rhode Island Current, Providence Rep. Rebecca Kislak (D), who sponsored HB 7222, said during floor discussions that “what we’re doing right now isn’t working. If these poisons actually work to kill the rats, we would not have so many rats, and instead, what they’re doing is killing the predators of the rats.”

The legislation would also establish a voluntary municipal Rodent Integrated Pest Management Pilot Program aimed at evaluating non-chemical rodent control strategies, including sanitation improvements, habitat modification and rodent contraceptives.

Pest management professionals in New England are concerned that these restrictions could reduce access to proven rodent control tools and complicate efforts to manage infestations. The New England Pest Management Association has launched a VoterVoice advocacy campaign urging Gov. McKee to veto the measures.