HB2023: Lawn care service providers; limit on use of fertilizer, civil penalty.

HOUSE BILL NO. 2023

Offered January 9, 2019
Prefiled January 7, 2019
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 15.2-901.2, relating to lawn care service providers; limit on use of fertilizer; civil penalty.
Patron-- Murphy

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 15.2-901.2 as follows:

§ 15.2-901.2. Locality may limit application of fertilizer; civil penalty.

A. For purposes of this section:

"Fertilizer" means any natural or synthetic substance used to enhance plant growth or fertility.

"Lawn care service provider" means any person or his agent, firm, association, organization, partnership, corporation, or employee that provides services for the treatment, planting, or growing in whole or in part of grass on a lawn.

B. Any locality may, by ordinance, limit the amount and number of applications of fertilizer a lawn care service provider may apply in a given area in a 12-month period.

C. A lawn care service provider that violates a lawn care service provider fertilizer application ordinance authorized by this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $50 for the first violation or violations arising from the same set of operative facts. The civil penalty for subsequent violations not arising from the same set of operative facts within 12 months of the first violation shall not exceed $200.