APPLE COMMISSION

RCW 15.04.200 provides that agricultural commodity commissions shall adopt rules governing promotional hosting expenditures by agricultural commodity commission employees, agents, or commissioners. "Promotional hosting" means the hosting of individuals or groups of individuals at meetings, meals, events, tours, or other gatherings for the purpose of agricultural development, trade promotion, cultivating trade relations, or in the aid of the marketing, advertising, or sale of Washington state apples. "Hosting" may include providing meals, refreshments, lodging, transportation, gifts of nominal value, reasonable and customary entertainment, and normal incidental expenses at meetings or gatherings.

The rules governing promotional hosting expenditures for the Washington apple commission shall be as follows:

(1) Budget approval. Commission expenditures for agricultural development or trade promotion and promotional hosting shall be pursuant to specific budget items in the commission's annual budget as approved by the commission and the director.

(2) Officials and agents authorized to make expenditures. The following officials and agents are authorized to make expenditures for agricultural development, trade promotion, and promotional hosting in accordance with the provisions of these rules:

(a) Commissioners;

(b) President;

(c) Vice-president;

(d) Export marketing staff;

(e) Contracted international representatives of the commission as defined within the scope of their contract with the commission.

Individual commissioners shall make promotional hosting expenditures, and seek reimbursements for those expenditures, only in those instances where expenditures have been approved by the commission.

(3) Payment and reimbursement. All payments and reimbursements shall be identified and supported by an expense report and promotional hosting form to which receipts are attached. These forms will be supplied by the commission, and shall require the following information:

(a) Name and company (if applicable) of each person hosted;

(b) General purpose of the hosting;

(c) Date of the hosting;

(d) Location of the hosting;

(e) To whom payment was or will be made;

(f) Signature of person seeking payment or reimbursement.

(4) The commission chair, president/secretary, and vice-president/treasurer are authorized to approve direct payment or reimbursements submitted in accordance with these rules: Provided, That they are not authorized to approve their own invoices.

(5) The following persons may be hosted when it is reasonably believed such hosting will promote agricultural development, promote trade, cultivate trade relations, or aid in the marketing, advertising, or sale of Washington state apples: Provided, That such hosting shall not violate federal or state conflict of interest laws:

(a) Individuals from private business, associations, commissions, and accompanying staff and interpreter(s);

(b) Foreign government officials and accompanying staff and interpreter(s);

(c) Federal, state and local officials: Provided, That lodging, meals, and transportation will not be provided when such officials may obtain full reimbursement for these expenses from their governmental employer;

(d) The general public, at meetings or gatherings open to the general public;

(e) Commissioners, employees and contracted international representatives of the commission when their attendance at meetings, meals, and gatherings at which the persons described in (a) through (d) of this subsection are being hosted, will promote agricultural development, promote trade, cultivate trade relations, or aid in the marketing, advertising, or sale of Washington state apples;

(f) Spouses, or significant others of the persons listed in (a), (b), (c), and (e) of this subsection when attendance of such spouse or significant other is customary and expected or will serve to promote agricultural development, promote trade, cultivate trade relations, or aid in the marketing, advertising, or sale of Washington state apples.