HB 2758 Summary

• Establishes a plant nursery registration program requiring persons engaged in the sale of nursery stock to register with the Department of Agriculture and maintain pest-free operations.

• Designates coconut rhinoceros beetle, coqui frog, little fire ant, and two-lined spittlebug as pests for control or eradication, and requires the Board of Agriculture to designate other pests by rule with updates at least every two years.

• Authorizes the Department to quarantine infested nursery stock and material, conduct inspections, issue stop-sale orders, and impose civil penalties up to a specified amount for violations of the nursery registration program.

• Modernizes the noxious weed designation process by transferring authority from the Department to the Board of Agriculture, establishing a formal application and public comment procedure with specific classes (A, B, C) based on distribution and control priority.

• Expands the Department's authority to control or eradicate pests and noxious weeds through quarantines, emergency rules, and private property access (with notice and court warrant procedures), while establishing a biosecurity program framework.