DELAWARE, Ohio – Earlier this year, language in the Ohio state budget unintentionally altered the definition of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs) and changed who is legally allowed to handle them.
RUPs are crop-protection products that include certain herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, and can only be applied by or under the supervision of licensed or trained applicators.
As written in the Ohio state budget language, new regulations would have prevented trained and supervised farm employees from helping with the mixing, loading, or application of these products. This would have added unnecessary costs, delays, and logistical challenges for Ohio farms during their busiest seasons.
Recognizing the potential negative impact these new rules would have on farm operations, the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association (OCWGA), Ohio Farm Bureau, and Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) worked together to bring the issue to the attention of state legislators. The three organizations successfully advocated for a correction to be made in House Bill 10, which was passed by the Ohio General Assembly on November 5, 2025.
“House Bill 10 keeps Ohio farmers focused on what matters most: growing safe, high-quality crops and caring for the land,” commented Tyler Drewes, president of the Ohio Corn & Wheat Growers Association. “We appreciate lawmakers for listening and for moving quickly to make things right. This is what happens when farmers and farm organizations work together on behalf of their members.”
“Farmers use pesticides with the utmost care, and the changes to pesticide licensing regulations made in the state budget bill this summer would have created an undue burden for pesticide applicators that went beyond federal requirements,” said Rusty Goebel, Ohio Soybean Association president and Williams County soybean farmer. “We are pleased to see the passage of House Bill 10, which will bring Ohio into compliance with federal regulations without overcomplicating the process.”
“Farm families take the use of pesticides very seriously, and we are glad this legislation better aligns with federal law and the reality of farm families,” said Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president. “We appreciate Reps. Klopfenstein and Daniels for their leadership in addressing both of these critical issues.”
