Massachusetts County Correctional Standards, 103 CMR 974.06: Insect and Rodent Control by a Licensed Person

Citation

Code of Massachusetts Regulations, 103 CMR 974.00 (County Correctional Facilities – Sanitation and Hygiene), § 974.06, designated Required; and 105 CMR 451.000 (Minimum Health and Sanitation Standards and Inspection Procedures for Correctional Facilities). The official mass.gov PDFs refused automated download; the text was read from the Legal Information Institute’s copies on September 26, 2026, and the enabling statutes from malegislature.gov.

What It Says (Verbatim)

103 CMR 974.06 (Required):

“Written policy and procedure shall govern the control of vermin and pests. When they exist, such pests shall be exterminated in a manner which is not hazardous to the health of inmates or employees, by a person with appropriate licensing.”

105 CMR 451.361, extermination (Recommended series):

“Extermination should be accomplished by eliminating the harborage places of insects and rodents, by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food or breeding ground, by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping, or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination method. Extermination shall be undertaken in a manner which is not hazardous to the health of inmates or employees, and only by a person certified or licensed to apply pesticides pursuant to M.G.L. c. 132B, § 10.”

105 CMR 451.141, screens (first sentence):

“Each window and door which is used for ventilation to the exterior shall have tight-fitting screens with a minimum of 16 mesh per square inch to effectively block entrance of insects and rodents.”

103 CMR 974.04, inspections (excerpt):

“(1) At least weekly sanitation inspections of all institution areas by a designated qualified employee;”

What It Means in Plain Language

1. Written policy governs. Vermin and pest control is set by the facility’s written policy and procedure.
2. A licensed exterminator when pests exist. Extermination is done safely for inmates and staff, by a person with appropriate licensing; the public health rule names certification or licensure under M.G.L. c. 132B, § 10.
3. Required versus recommended. 974.06 is a Required standard. The public health .300 series, including 451.360 and .361, is Recommended, though .361’s second sentence uses “shall.” The screen rule, 451.141, is in the Required series.
4. Inspections are frequent. Weekly sanitation inspections by a designated employee and a monthly inspection by an environmental health officer (974.04), plus Department of Public Health inspections.

Who It Applies To

All county correctional facilities and their employees, under 103 CMR 900.08; the Department of Correction sets and enforces county standards under M.G.L. c. 124, § 1(d). 105 CMR 451.000 applies to every correctional facility operated by the Department of Correction or the counties.

103 CMR 900.08 (Applicability):

“103 CMR 900.00 through 979.00 apply to all county correctional facilities and employees.”

Documentation Evidence

• The written vermin and pest control policy and procedure
• The license or certification of each person who exterminated
• Records showing when pests existed and when they were exterminated
• Screen condition records for ventilation windows and doors
• Weekly, monthly, and public health inspection reports

Confidence Notes

MEDIUM confidence, only because the regulation text comes from the Legal Information Institute’s mirror; mass.gov refused automated download. A separate read of the mass.gov PDFs (not usable as a quotation source) gave the same wording. A 2021 redline of the 103 CMR 900 series was posted for public hearing; whether it changed 974.06 was not confirmed. Check the official text before relying on it.