HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 1426

                  As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to research and extension programs of Washington State University.

Brief Description:  Establishing the center for sustaining agriculture and natural resources, and the food and environmental quality laboratory as research and extension programs of Washington State University.

Sponsor(s):  By House Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development (originally sponsored by Representatives Grant, Ballard, Rayburn, Nealey, Rust, Belcher, Ludwig, Prince, Heavey, Inslee, Bray, Rasmussen, Jacobsen, Lisk, Kremen, Spanel and Edmondson).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Agriculture & Rural Development, February 7, 1991, DPS;

Appropriations, March 10, 1991, DPS(AG)-A;

Passed House, March 19, 1991, 96-0;

Amended by Senate.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1426 be substituted therefore, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Minority Member; P. Johnson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; Grant; R. Johnson; Lisk; McLean; Rasmussen; and Roland.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: The substitute bill by Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development be substituted therefor and the substitute bill as amended by Committee on Appropriations do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Inslee, Vice Chair; Spanel, Ranking Minority Member; Silver, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Morton; Appelwick; Belcher; Bowman; Braddock; Brekke; Dorn; Ebersole; Ferguson; Fuhrman; Hine; Lisk; McLean; Nealey; Pruitt; Rust; H. Sommers; Sprenkle; Valle; Wang; and Wineberry.

Staff:  Sherie Story (786-7142).

Background:  State law designates courses of instruction in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and economic science (as it applies to agriculture and rural life) as exclusive major lines of instruction at Washington State University (WSU).  WSU, a federal land grant university, is the research, instructional, and administrative center for the cooperative extension program in this state.

The federal Interregional Research Project Number Four

(IR-4) program was established to provide data required for the registration of pesticides for the production of minor crops.

Amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act require pesticides registered with the federal government before November 1, 1984, to be reregistered under current registration standards and criteria.

Summary of Bill: Center & Lab Created; Appropriation.  A Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is established at Washington State University (WSU) and must operate with or without additional state funding.  A Food and Environmental Quality Laboratory is created at WSU at the Tri-Cities if funding for the laboratory is specifically provided in the 1991-1993 biennial budget.

Center.  The center's primary activities include:  (1)  research programs focusing on alternative production and marketing systems through integrated pest management, biological pest control, applied genetics, conservation, and knowledge of ecological nutrient management; (2) extension programs focusing on on-farm demonstrations and evaluations of alternative production practices and on information dissemination and training regarding sustainable agriculture; and (3) on-farm testing and research regarding costs, benefits, and trade-offs inherent in farming systems and technologies.

The center is managed by an administrator who holds a joint appointment as an assistant director in WSU's Agricultural Research Center and Cooperative Extension.  An advisory committee is created.  The administrator must consult the advisory committee in recommending research and extension priorities for the center, conducting a competitive grants process, and advising WSU on the progress of the center's programs.

The center must submit annual reports to the Legislature.  The initial report, due November 1, 1992, must identify criteria for determining acceptable risk for human and environmental exposure to agricultural chemicals and a plan for conducting research and education regarding alternatives to chemicals which do not meet those criteria.  In subsequent years, the reports must detail the center's progress in conducting its statutorily established primary activities.

Laboratory.  The laboratory is established to conduct pesticide residue studies concerning fresh and processed foods, residues in the environment, and human and animal safety.  The laboratory must: (1) conduct studies on  pesticides on crops and in the environment; (2) improve pesticide information and education programs; (3) assist federal and state agencies with questions regarding the registration of pesticides which are deemed critical to crop production; (4) assist in the registration of biopesticides, pheromones, and other alternative chemical and biological pest control methods; and (5) evaluate regional requirements for minor crop registration through the federal Interregional Research Project Number Four (IR-4) program.  The laboratory must conduct research activities using procedures and recordkeeping required of the IR-4 program and must coordinate its activities with the IR-4 program.  It must also cooperate with public and private laboratories in Idaho, Oregon, and this state.

An advisory board is created to advise the laboratory.  The advisory board must use certain specified criteria in reviewing the chemicals investigated by the laboratory.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): The amendments delete the statement that the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources is a high priority of Washington State University and the requirement that the center operate even without additional state funding for it.  The amendments state that the center will require an appropriation of $1.2 million in the 1991-93 omnibus appropriations act.  The amendments also state that the Food and Environmental Quality Laboratory will require an appropriation of $1.2 million for the 1991-93 biennium, but retain the requirement that the provisions of the bill creating the lab are null and void unless funding for the lab is specifically provided by the 1991-93 omnibus appropriations act.

The Senate amendments delete the requirement that the center's first report to the Legislature identifies criteria for determining acceptable risk for human and environmental exposure to agricultural chemicals and identifies the center's plan for finding and promoting alternatives to chemicals which do not meet these criteria.  In lieu of these deleted requirements, the amendments require the center's reports to the Legislature to include the center's priorities for finding alternatives to the use of agricultural chemicals that pose human and environmental risks.  The center's first report must use federal criteria of acceptable risk for establishing these priorities and for conducting responsive programs.  The amendments also require the center to work cooperatively with the University of Washington in addressing forestry issues and add farm labor groups to the examples of groups which may be represented on the center's advisory committee.

The Senate amendments require the Department of Agriculture to develop a program to provide assistance and information to grower organizations on the federal registration and reregistration of pesticides, create a committee to advise the department on this program, and appropriate $49,500 from the general fund to the department for the 1991-93 biennium for this purpose.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Agriculture & Rural Development): (1) The center will help identify means of reducing pesticide use through the use of proven alternatives.  The laboratory will help secure the reregistration of pesticides which will otherwise be lost for use on what are nationally considered to be "minor" crops.  These activities are necessary to sustain the agricultural industry in this state.  (2) The center will use the entire state as its research "farm," linking farmers directly to the research.  All research will have a technology transfer component.  (3) Investigations into the biological control of pests will be expanded.  (4) The federal residue testing lab can accommodate only four tests for locally important pesticides or issues each year.  The Tri-Cities lab will give local interests access to approximately 30 such tests each year.  (5) Monies for equipping the laboratory will be provided by the federal government.  (6) The laboratory will give WSU for the first time the capability to trace the path of pesticides in soil and water.  (7) The state should take early action regarding reregistration of pesticides and alternative practices rather than waiting until it is too late, as happened regarding the changes faced by the state's timber industry.

(Appropriations): None.

Testimony Against:  (Agriculture & Rural Development): None.

(Appropriations): None.

Witnesses:  (Agriculture & Rural Development): Larry Ganders, Fred Poston, Jim Zuiches, and Gary Piper, Washington State University (in favor); Tom Casey, Washington State Grange (in favor); Dan Coyne, Washington Dairy Federation (in favor); and Mark Triplett, Washington AgriBusiness Coalition (in favor).

(Appropriations): None.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Yeas 96; Nays 0; Excused 2

Excused:  Representatives McLean and Miller.