HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 1473

BYHouse Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development (originally sponsored by Representatives McLean, Doty, Rasmussen and Holm; by request of Department of Agriculture)

Revising provisions relating to food processors.

House Committe on Agriculture & Rural Development

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (12)

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

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (783-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 25, 1988

BACKGROUND:

With certain exceptions, the Washington Food Processing Act requires any person who operates a food processing plant or who processes or handles foods to obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture annually.  Among the establishments expressly exempted from this requirement of the Act are those issued licenses or permits under the 1937 Bakery and Bakery Products Act or laws governing the manufacture of macaroni and macaroni products or confections.  Also expressly exempted are restaurants and food service establishments.  The Food Processing Act establishes certain requirements for the establishments licensed under it and authorizes the Department to adopt rules and standards implementing its requirements.

Bakeries and distributors of bakery products are licensed and regulated by the Department of Agriculture under the 1937 Bakery and Bakery Products Act.  Standards for certain bakery and macaroni products are established in other statutes.

Persons operating macaroni factories and those who distribute macaroni products or sell such products except through fixed retail stores must secure permits under the macaroni and macaroni products statutes.

A person who prepares, processes, manufactures, or distributes confection, or who sells it at other than fixed retail stores, must secure a confectioner's permit from the Department under the state's confections statutes.

SUMMARY:

The following are repealed:  the 1937 Bakery and Bakery Products Act, the macaroni and macaroni products statutes, and the confections statutes. Persons who have secured licenses or permits under the statutes which are repealed are no longer exempted from the licensure requirements of the Washington Food Processing Act.

The annual fee required for a license under the Food Processing Act is increased to $25 (from $10).  The fee for late renewals of licenses under the Act is increased to $15 (from $5).

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 19, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Mike Schwisow, Department of Agriculture.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    (1) The bill streamlines licensing administration by reducing four categories of licenses to one category.  (2) If the bill is enacted, the Department of Agriculture proposes to drop the requirement that in-store and similar bakeries be licensed by the Department since they are currently inspected by local health departments.  The Department will continue to license wholesale bakeries.  This change will reduce by 90% the number of bakeries licensed by the Department.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.