The law requires the state to hold public hearings before spraying and to disclose ingredients of the spray to the public. It requires an evaluation of the human and environmental health effects of proposed aerial spraying and applies to any proposed aerial spraying in urban areas.

The law was proposed in response to the controversial spraying of pheromones aimed at eradicating the light brown apple moth last year in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

People in both counties reported becoming sick after spraying, and lawsuits were filed in an effort to prevent the operation. Courts ruled a full environmental analysis was required before the spraying could go on.

After last year’s legal challenges, the state has since abandoned plans to resume spaying to combat the light brown apple moth in urban areas, including the San Francisco Bay Area.