Committee Passage Notice for 6319 SB

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SB 6319, titled AN ACT Relating to implementing the federal produce safety rule, has been passed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks. The Office of Financial Management has identified this bill as requiring a ten-year projection of increased cost to the taxpayers or affected fee payers.

Ten-year projection:

This bill, among other provisions, gives the Washington State Department of Agriculture statutory authority to implement the new federal Produce Safety Rule. It establishes a new voluntary compliance program allowing farms to verify they comply with the produce safety rules regardless of whether the rule covers their farm. The fees to cover these voluntary compliance inspections will be set by rule. At this time, neither the fee for the voluntary compliance inspections nor the number of farms that may participate can be forecasted. Therefore, the total ten-year cost to fee payers is indeterminate.

The following legislators voted do pass:

Senator Jim Honeyford
Republican
Sunnyside
(360) 786-7684
Jim.Honeyford@leg.wa.gov

Senator John McCoy
Democrat
Tulalip
(360) 786-7674
John.McCoy@leg.wa.gov

Senator Kevin Van De Wege
Democrat
Sequim
(360) 786-7646
Kevin.VanDeWege@leg.wa.gov

Senator Judy Warnick
Republican
Moses Lake
(360) 786-7624
Judy.Warnick@leg.wa.gov

Senator Sharon Nelson
Democrat
Vashon
(360) 786-7667
Sharon.Nelson@leg.wa.gov



Legislative Bill Information Website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Initiative 960 Website: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/default.asp