§ 2-2438a — Definitions

As used in this act, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) "Animal" means all vertebrate and invertebrate species, including, but not limited to, man and other mammals, birds, fish and shellfish.
(b) "Department" means the Kansas department of agriculture.
(c) "Certified applicator" means any individual who is certified under this act to use or supervise the use of any restricted use pesticide that is classified for restricted use by a certified applicator.
(1) "Certified commercial applicator" means a certified applicator, whether or not a private applicator with respect to some uses, who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide that is classified for restricted use for any purpose or on any property other than as provided in paragraph (2).
(2) "Certified private applicator" means a certified applicator who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide that is classified for restricted use for purposes of producing any agricultural commodity, (A) on property owned or rented by such person or such person's employer or (B) if applied without compensation other than trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities, on the property of another person.
(d) "Defoliant" means any substance or mixture of substances intended to cause the leaves or foliage to drop from a plant, with or without causing abscission.
(e) "Desiccant" means any substance or mixture of substances intended for artificially accelerating the drying of plant tissue.
(f) "Equipment" means any ground, water or aerial apparatus, used to apply any pesticide but shall not include any pressurized hand size household apparatus used to apply any pesticide or any equipment, apparatus or contrivance of which the person who is applying the pesticide is the source of power or energy in making such pesticide application.
(g) "Fungus" means any nonchlorophyll-bearing thallophyte, including, but not limited to, rust, smut, mildew, mold, yeast and bacteria, except those on or in man or other animals and those on or in processed food, beverages or pharmaceuticals.
(h) "General use pesticide" means all pesticides that have not been designated, by rule or regulation of the secretary, as being restricted use pesticides.
(i) "Insect" means any small invertebrate animal having the body segmented, belonging to the class insecta and other classes of arthropods, including, but not limited to, beetles, bugs, bees, flies, spiders, mites, ticks and centipedes.
(j) "Registered pest control technician" means an uncertified commercial applicator who applies pesticides for wood destroying pest control, for structural pest control, for ornamental pest control, for turf pest control, for interior landscape pest control or for any combination of these types of pest control, and who has received verifiable training.
(k) "Nematode" means any unsegmented roundworms of the class nematoda, with elongated, fusiform or saclike bodies covered with cuticle, inhabiting soil, water, plants or plant parts. Such roundworms may also be referred to as nemas or eelworms.
(l) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association of persons, corporation or governmental agency.
(m) "Pest" means, but is not limited to, any insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed or any other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria or other microorganism, except viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms on or in man or other animals or that the secretary may declare to be a pest.
(n) "Pesticide" means, but is not limited to, (1) any substance or mixture of substances used to prevent, destroy, control, repel, attract or mitigate any pest and (2) any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant.
(o) "Pesticide business" means any individual, partnership, association of persons or corporation that applies pesticides to the property of another for compensation.
(p) "Pesticide business licensee" means an individual, business, association of persons or corporation who is licensed or would be required to be licensed under the provisions of K.S.A. 2-2440, and amendments thereto.
(q) "Pesticide dealer" means any person who sells a pesticide to another person for application.
(r) "Plant regulator" means any substance or mixture of substances intended through physiological action to accelerate or retard the rate of growth or maturation or to otherwise alter the behavior of plants but shall not include substances insofar as they are used as plant nutrients, trace elements, nutritional chemicals, plant inoculants or soil amendments. "Plant regulator" does not include any such nutrient mixtures or soil amendments as are commonly known as vitamin-hormone horticultural products, intended for improvement, maintenance, survival, health and propagation of plants, and not for pest destruction if such mixtures or soil amendments, in the undiluted packaged concentration are nontoxic and nonpoisonous.
(s) "Restricted use pesticide" means all pesticide uses designated as such by rules and regulations of the secretary.
(t) "Secretary" means the secretary of agriculture.
(u) "Under the supervision of" means, unless otherwise provided by the labeling of the pesticide product, acting under the instructions and control of another person who is available if and when needed, even though such other person is not physically present at the time and place the act is done.
(v) "Weed" means any plant or part thereof that grows where not wanted.
(w) "Use of any pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its label or labeling" means to use any pesticide in a manner not permitted by the label or labeling.
(x) "Pest control" means the destruction, prevention, repulsion or mitigation of a population, infection or infestation of a pest.
(y) "Pesticide management area" means a site or area designated by the secretary pursuant to K.S.A. 2-2472, and amendments thereto, where a pesticide management plan is deemed necessary for the protection of the public health, safety, welfare or natural resources of the state.
(z) "Natural resources" means and includes soils, water and any form of terrestrial or aquatic or animal life.
(aa) "Pesticide rinsate" means the water contaminated with pesticides from the cleaning of the inside of pesticide containers or pesticide tanks.
(bb) "Governmental agency" or "government agency" means any officer, department, bureau, division, board, authority, agency, commission or institution of a local, state or federal government when acting to enforce or administer any law, regulation or ordinance or otherwise acting in its official capacity.

Legislative History

L. 1977, ch. 3, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 6, § 1; L. 1984, ch. 1, § 3; L. 1985, ch. 12, § 1; L. 1987, ch. 12, § 1; L. 1988, ch. 7, § 1; L. 1989, ch. 6, § 1; L. 2004, ch. 101, § 45; L. 2009, ch. 128, § 10; L. 2024, ch. 55, § 2; July 1.