HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 1304

BYRepresentatives Kremen, Rayburn, Vekich, Grimm, Braddock and Walk

Providing for marketing agreements to allow members to participate in regulatory proceedings.

House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (13)

      Signed by Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Baugher, Bristow, Brooks, Chandler, Doty, Grant, Holm, McLean, Moyer, Nealey and Rasmussen.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 29, 1988

BACKGROUND:

The 1955 and 1961 Agricultural Enabling Acts permit producers or producers and handlers of an agricultural commodity to establish a marketing agreement or order for the commodity. The marketing agreement or order creates a commodity board or commission and establishes a commodity assessment, the revenues from which are used to administer the order.  Among the activities that may be funded by such assessments are promotional programs and research concerning the production, processing, or distribution of the commodity.

SUMMARY:

A marketing agreement or order created under the 1955 or 1961 Agricultural Enabling Act may permit the members of a commodity board or commission, or their designees, to participate in federal or state proceedings concerning the regulation of a pesticide or another agricultural chemical useful in producing the commodity governed by the order.  The agreement or order may authorize the use of funds of the board or commission for this purpose.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Gerald Beckman, Puyallup Valley Berry Growers; Mike Schwisow, Department of Agriculture.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Producers of the commodities grown in large volume in the state can rely on their private associations to represent them in regulatory proceedings for pesticides.  Producers of the other commodities ("smaller" commodity groups) are represented primarily by their boards and commissions.  These boards and commissions should be permitted to present the interests of their producers during such proceedings.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.