WSR 17-05-037
PERMANENT RULES
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
[Filed February 8, 2017, 9:52 a.m., effective March 11, 2017]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: This rule-making order amends chapter 16-545 WAC, Turfgrass seed commission, by including public records disclosure procedures as required by RCW 42.56.040.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 16-545-010.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 15.65.047 and 42.56.040.
Other Authority: Chapter 34.05 RCW.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 16-24-097 on December 7, 2016.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 7, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: February 8, 2017.
Derek I. Sandison
Director
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 04-22-073, filed 11/1/04, effective 12/2/04)
WAC 16-545-010 Definitions.
Definitions for terms used in this chapter are also found in chapter 15.65 RCW, Washington State Agriculture Commodity Boards Act. For the purpose of this marketing order, the following additional definitions apply:
(((1) "Director" means the director of agriculture of the state of Washington or the director's duly appointed representative.
(2) "Department" means the department of agriculture of the state of Washington.
(3) "Act" means the Washington State Agriculture Commodity Boards Act or chapter 15.65 RCW.
(4) "Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, trust, association, partnership, society, or any other organization of individuals or any unit or agency of local or state government.
(5) "Affected producer" means any person who produces, or causes to be produced, in commercial quantities, turfgrass seed in the state of Washington.
(6) "Commercial quantity" means all the turfgrass seed produced for sale in any calendar year by any producer.
(7) "Affected handler" means any person who acts as principal or agent or otherwise in processing, selling, marketing or distributing turfgrass seed not produced by the handler and shall include any lending agencies for a commodity credit corporation loan to producers. "Handler" does not include a common carrier used to transport an agricultural commodity. "To handle" means to act as a handler.
(8) "Turfgrass seed commodity board" referred to as "board" or "commission" means the turfgrass seed commodity board formed under WAC 16-545-020.
(9) "Turfgrass seed" means Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, hard fescue, slender fescue, and creeping red fescue. Forage fescue and reclamation grass seed are excluded from this order.
(10) "Turfgrass seed by-products" means turfgrass seed straw and screenings.
(11) "Marketing season" or "fiscal year" means the twelve-month period beginning on June 1 of any year and ending with the last day of May, both dates being inclusive.
(12) "Producer-handler" is both a "producer" and a "handler" with respect to turfgrass seed and is covered by this order as a producer when engaged in the business of producing turfgrass seed or a handler when engaged in processing, selling, marketing or distributing turfgrass seed. "To produce" means to act as a producer. For the purposes of the turfgrass seed marketing order, "producer" shall include bailees who contract to produce or grow any agricultural product on behalf of a bailor who retains title to the turfgrass seed and its resulting agricultural product or the agricultural product delivered for further production or increase.
(13) "Affected area" or "production area" means that portion of the state of Washington located east of the summit of the Cascade Mountains.
(14) "Sell" includes offer for sale, expose for sale, and have in possession for sale, exchange, barter or trade.
(15))) "Act" means the Washington State Agriculture Commodity Boards Act or chapter 15.65 RCW.
"Affected area" or "production area" means that portion of the state of Washington located east of the summit of the Cascade Mountains.
"Affected handler" means any person who acts as principal or agent or otherwise in processing, selling, marketing or distributing turfgrass seed not produced by the handler and shall include any lending agencies for a commodity credit corporation loan to producers. "Handler" does not include a common carrier used to transport an agricultural commodity. "To handle" means to act as a handler.
"Affected producer" means any person who produces, or causes to be produced, in commercial quantities, turfgrass seed in the state of Washington.
"Affected unit" means one pound net pay weight of turfgrass seed.
"Commercial quantity" means all the turfgrass seed produced for sale in any calendar year by any producer.
"Department" means the department of agriculture of the state of Washington.
"Director" means the director of agriculture of the state of Washington or the director's duly appointed representative.
"Disclosure" means inspection or copying.
"Marketing season" or "fiscal year" means the twelve-month period beginning on June 1st of any year and ending with the last day of May, both dates being inclusive.
"Person" means any individual, firm, corporation, limited liability company, trust, association, partnership, society, or any other organization of individuals or any unit or agency of local or state government.
"Producer-handler" is both a "producer" and a "handler" with respect to turfgrass seed and is covered by this order as a producer when engaged in the business of producing turfgrass seed or a handler when engaged in processing, selling, marketing or distributing turfgrass seed. "To produce" means to act as a producer. For the purposes of the turfgrass seed marketing order, "producer" shall include bailees who contract to produce or grow any agricultural product on behalf of a bailor who retains title to the turfgrass seed and its resulting agricultural product or the agricultural product delivered for further production or increase.
"Public records" includes any writing containing information relating to the conduct of government or the performance of any governmental or proprietary function prepared, owned, used, or retained by the commission regardless of physical form or characteristics.
"Sell" includes offer for sale, expose for sale, and have in possession for sale, exchange, barter or trade.
"Turfgrass seed" means Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, hard fescue, slender fescue, and creeping red fescue. Forage fescue and reclamation grass seed are excluded from this order.
"Turfgrass seed by-products" means turfgrass seed straw and screenings.
"Turfgrass seed commodity board" referred to as "board" or "commission" means the turfgrass seed commodity board formed under WAC 16-545-020.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-055 Description of commission, address and telephone number of the Washington turfgrass seed commission.
Headquartered in Kennewick at 100 North Fruitland, Suite B, Kennewick, WA 99336, the Washington turfgrass seed commission serves Washington turfgrass seed producers by supporting the turfgrass seed industry in the areas of research and marketing. The telephone number is 509-585-5460.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-056 Public records officer.
(1) The commission's public records shall be in the charge of the public records officer designated by the commission. The commission or its executive director may appoint a temporary public records officer to serve during the absence of the designated records officer. The public records officer shall be responsible for implementing the commission's rules regarding disclosure of public records, coordination of staff regarding disclosure of public records, and generally ensuring compliance by staff with public records disclosure requirements.
(2) The name of the commission's current public records officer is on file with the office of the code reviser in accordance with RCW 42.56.580 and is published in the Washington State Register.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-057 Request for public records.
(1) All requests for disclosure of public records must be submitted in writing directly to the commission's public records officer by mail to Washington Turfgrass Seed Commission, 100 North Fruitland, Suite B, Kennewick, WA 99336. The request may also be submitted by fax to 509-585-2671 or by e-mail to: shanej@agmgt.com. The written request must include:
(a) The name, address and telephone number or other contact information of the person requesting the records;
(b) The calendar date on which the request is made; and
(c) Sufficient information to readily identify records being requested.
(2) Any person wishing to inspect the commission's public records may make an appointment with the public records officer to inspect the records at the commission office during regular business hours. In order to adequately protect the commission's public records, the following will apply:
(a) Public records made available for inspection may not be removed from the area the commission makes available for inspection;
(b) Inspection of any public record will be conducted in the presence of the public records officer or designee;
(c) Public records may not be marked or altered in any manner during the inspection; and
(d) The commission has the discretion to designate the means and the location for the inspection of records. The viewing of those records that require specialized equipment shall be limited to the availability of that equipment located at the commission's office and the availability of authorized staff to operate that equipment.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-058 Response to public records requests.
(1) The public records officer shall respond to public records requests within five business days by:
(a) Making the records available for inspection or copying;
(b) Providing a link or address for a record available on the internet under RCW 42.56.520;
(c) Acknowledging receipt of the request and providing a reasonable estimate of the time the commission will require to respond to the request;
(d) Sending the copies to the requestor if copies are requested and payment of a deposit for the copies is made or terms of payment have been agreed upon; or
(e) Denying the public records request. Responses refusing in whole or in part the inspection of a public record shall include a statement of the specific exemption authorizing withholding of the record, or any part of the record, and a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld or to any redactions in records produced.
(2) Additional time to respond to the request may be based upon the need to:
(a) Clarify the intent of the request;
(b) Locate and assemble the information requested;
(c) Notify persons or agencies affected by the request; or
(d) Determine whether any of the information requested is exempt from disclosure and that a denial should be made as to all or part of the request.
(3) In acknowledging receipt of a public records request that is unclear, the public records officer may ask the requestor to clarify what records the requestor is seeking. The public records officer is not obligated to provide further response if the requestor fails to clarify the request.
(4) In the event the requested records name a specific person or pertain to a specific person and may be exempt from disclosure, the commission may, prior to providing the records, give notice to others whose rights may be affected by the disclosure. Sufficient notice will be given to allow affected persons to seek an order from a court to prevent or limit the disclosure. The notice to the affected persons will include a copy of the request.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-059 FeesInspection and copying.
(1) No fee will be charged for the inspection of public records.
(2) The commission charges a fee of fifteen cents per page of black and white photocopy plus postage for reimbursement of the costs of providing copies of public records.
(3) Requests for records in special formatting, including color copies, will be charged at the amount necessary to reimburse the commission for its actual production costs. If the public records officer deems it more efficient to have copying or duplicating done outside the commission, the charges will be based on the actual cost of such outside copying or duplicating service. For all copying or duplicating service charges incurred, an invoice will be sent to the requestor. Reimbursement is payable within fifteen days of receipt of the invoice and is payable to the Washington turfgrass seed commission. The commission may require that all charges be paid in advance of release of the copies of the records.
(4) The commission or its designee may waive any of the foregoing copying costs.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-060 Exemptions.
The commission's public records are available for disclosure except as otherwise provided under chapter 42.56 RCW or any other law. Requestors should be aware of the following exemptions to public disclosure specific to commission records. This list is not exhaustive and other exemptions may apply:
(1) Production or sales records required to determine assessment levels and actual assessment payments to the commission under chapter 15.65 RCW (reference RCW 42.56.380(3)).
(2) Financial and commercial information and records supplied by persons:
(a) To the commission for the purpose of conducting a referendum for the establishment of the commission; or
(b) To the commission under chapter 15.65 RCW with respect to domestic or export marketing activities or individual producer's production information (reference 42.56.380(5)).
(3) Lists of individuals requested for commercial purposes (reference RCW 42.56.070(9)).
(4) Records that are relevant to a controversy to which the commission is a party but which records would not be available to another party under the rules of pretrial discovery for causes pending in the superior courts, including records involving attorney-client communications between the commission and the office of the attorney general (reference RCW 5.60.060(2) and 42.56.290).
(5) Credit card numbers, debit card numbers, electronic check numbers, card expiration dates, or bank or other financial account numbers, except when disclosure is expressly required or governed by other law (reference RCW 42.56.230(5)).
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-061 Review of denial of public records requests.
(1) Any person who objects to the initial denial of a request to copy or inspect public records may petition the commission for review of such decision by submitting a written request to the commission. The request shall specifically refer to statement which constituted or accompanied the denial.
(2) The commission's executive director or designee shall immediately consider the matter and either affirm or reverse the denial within ten business days following the commission's receipt of the written request for review of the original denial.
(3) Under RCW 42.56.530, if the commission denies a requestor access to public records because it claims the record is exempt in whole or in part from disclosure, the requestor may request the attorney general's office to review the matter.
(4) Any person may obtain court review of a denial of a public records request under RCW 42.56.550.
NEW SECTION
WAC 16-545-062 Records index.
The commission shall establish a records index, which shall be made available for public review. The index includes the following records:
(1) Commission authorizing statute;
(2) Commission marketing order;
(3) Minutes of commission meetings;
(4) Commission board roster; and
(5) List of research projects.