The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has extended the comment deadline on proposed pesticide-worker eyewash and decontamination changes to Nov. 5, 2026. The extension gives agricultural employers, pesticide handlers and other interested residents additional time to weigh in, including at a virtual public hearing that afternoon.
DPR announced the hearing and extension on Oct. 20. Its Sept. 18 proposal notice had opened a 45-day comment period ending Nov. 2. The department said it moved the deadline to accommodate comments received during the hearing.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. DPR will accept verbal or written comments. Proceedings will be in English, with Spanish interpretation provided. Information about accommodations and requests for interpretation in other languages is available in the regulatory notice.
What the proposal covers
The proposal would require employers to provide decontamination supplies for employees who handle pesticides, regardless of the pesticide’s signal word, according to DPR. It would also revise requirements covering eyewash stations, personal eyewash units and decontamination sites.
DPR describes the proposed changes as an effort to reduce potential worker exposure and improve eye safety. The department says it aims to make equipment standards more consistent, clarify requirements and remove repeated provisions. Those are the agency’s stated goals for the pending changes, not findings about their results.
The Nov. 5 date is a public-comment deadline and hearing date, not an effective date for new requirements. The changes remain a proposal under consideration.
How to comment
Written comments can be submitted through DPR’s SmartComment public comment portal, by email to dpr26005@cdpr.ca.gov, or by U.S. mail to the department’s regulations coordinator. People who planned around the original Nov. 2 deadline now have through Nov. 5 to provide their input.
