Staff | CBS5.com (San Francisco, CA)

A new law signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger will take effect Jan. 1 regarding the right of parents to know which pesticides are being used at their child's day-care facility.

The new law, AB 2865, extends existing pesticide requirements in public schools and day-care centers to cover privately run day-care facilities, the Department of Pesticide Regulation reported.

The law affects about 600 day-care operators and hundreds of pest control businesses that will be required to submit detailed reports on their pesticide applications at day-care centers

"Cal/EPA has made the protection of children a top priority in our efforts to reduce public exposures to toxic chemicals," California Environmental Protection agency secretary Linda Adams said in a statement. "This law will encourage day care operators to consider least-toxic pest management as their first option instead of turning to chemical solutions."

The law was sponsored by the advocacy group Environment California and was carried by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico.

"Children exposed to pesticides during critical stages of development may suffer permanent, irreversible damage," Torrico said in a statement. "This new law will ensure that California's children in day care get the fullest possible protection against exposure to pesticides."

Other provisions in the law will allow parents to register for advance notification about pesticide applications, require facilities to post notices in each area where pesticides are to be applied 24 hours before and 72 hours after application.

In addition, each facility must keep publicly available records of pesticide use for four years and licensed pest control businesses must report annually to Department of Pesticide Regulation on applications to private day-care centers, the Department of Pesticide Regulation reported.

The Department of Pesticide Regulation regulates the sale and use of pesticides to protect people and the environment and has extensive web resources to help the community to understand the challenges of pest management.