HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1062

             As Reported By House Committee On:

               Agriculture & Rural Development

Title:  An act relating to the repeal of the sunset provisions for the international marketing program for agricultural commodities and trade.

Brief Description:  Repealing the sunset provisions for the IMPACT center.

Sponsors:  Representatives Rayburn, Chandler, Schoesler, Kremen, Grant, Roland, Sheahan, Lemmon, Morton and Lisk.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Agriculture & Rural Development, January 27, 1993, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 10 members:  Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Chandler, Ranking Minority Member; Schoesler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chappell; Foreman; Grant; Karahalios; Lisk; and Roland.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:  The International Marketing Program for Agricultural Commodities and Trade (IMPACT) at Washington State University was created by statute.  It was created to address international marketing problems and opportunities and to provide related instruction, all with an emphasis on practical solutions to problems.

The legislature created the program on a provisional basis in 1984 and gave it "permanent" status in 1985.  The bill granting it permanent status also placed the program on the list for review under the state's Sunset Act.  As a part of that process, the program was given a termination date of June 30, 1990.  In 1988, the termination date was extended to June 30, 1992.

Under the Sunset Act, programs placed on the sunset list are reviewed by the Legislative Budget Committee (LBC).  In October 1991, the LBC approved and issued its final sunset report on IMPACT.  The LBC made four recommendations which were summarized in the report as follows:

     1.IMPACT should publish a fee schedule for its services as mandated.

     2.Legislation should be initiated to reestablish the IMPACT program at Washington State University.

     3.The legislature should consider adding an inflation adjustment to IMPACT's funding.

     4.The legislature should fully fund IMPACT at the original amount plus inflation adjustment for the second half of the 1991-93 biennium.

Subsequent to the report, IMPACT adopted a fee schedule.  During the 1992 Regular Session, the legislature funded the IMPACT program for the second half of the biennium and extended its termination date to June 30, 1996.  Absent further legislation, the IMPACT program and center will terminate on that date. 

Summary of Bill:  The IMPACT program and center at Washington State University are removed from termination under the Sunset Act.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 20, 1993.

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

Testimony For:  (1)  The IMPACT program at Washington State University is the best in the nation in using science to improve agricultural marketing.  Placing IMPACT on another sunset review list does not serve a purpose; it simply creates a sigma.  (2)  In its 1991 sunset report on the IMPACT program, the Legislative Budget Committee did not recommend placing the IMPACT program back on the sunset review list.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Desmond O'Rourke, IMPACT Center (in favor); Art Scheunemann, Department of Agriculture (in favor); and Lyle Davieau, staff, Legislative Budget Committee.