HOUSE BILL REPORT

                      SB 6212

                              As Passed House

                               March 4, 1992

Title:  An act relating to the fruit commission.

Brief Description:  Authorizing the fruit commission to change assessments for fruits and classifications.

Sponsor(s):  Senators Anderson, Bailey, Barr, Gaspard, Newhouse, Sellar, Jesernig and Bauer.

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Agriculture & Rural Development, February 25, 1992, DP;

Passed House, March 4, 1992, 93-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Nealey, Ranking Minority Member; P. Johnson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler; Grant; Lisk; McLean; Rasmussen; and Roland.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:  The state's Fruit Commission was established to conduct a comprehensive advertising and educational program to expand markets for, and to promote the general welfare of the soft tree fruit industry.  The commission is advised by district advisory committees for each soft tree fruit commodity group.  Members of these advisory groups select from their number the members of a state commodity committee for each commodity group. 

By law, the base assessment rate on soft tree fruits for funding this commission is 50 cents per 2,000 pounds of fruit.  This rate may be raised by the commission to a maximum of $2 per 2,000 pounds of fruit.  The assessment is to be uniformly applied to all of the soft tree fruit commodity groups.  However, upon the written recommendation of a majority of the members of a commodity's state committee, the commission may levy an additional assessment on that commodity, or a class within the commodity, to a maximum of $20 per 2,000 pounds for cherries, $14 per 2,000 pounds for pears, and $12 per 2,000 pounds for all other soft tree fruits.  The additional assessment applies only during the period recommended by the state committee.  An additional assessment on pears must be approved by a referendum of Bartlett pear growers. 

Summary of Bill:  The maximum, additional assessment rate which may be levied on a soft tree fruit commodity by the Fruit Commission upon the written recommendation of the state committee for the commodity is raised to $30 per 2,000 pounds for cherries and to $18 per 2,000 pounds for all other soft tree fruits.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  None.