Z-1370.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6098
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Senators M. Rasmussen, Newhouse, Snyder and Quigley; by request of Department of Agriculture
Read first time 01/12/94. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
AN ACT Relating to the dairy inspection program; and amending RCW 15.36.105 and 15.36.107.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 15.36.105 and 1993 1st sp.s. c 19 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
There is levied on all milk processed in this state an assessment not to exceed fifty-four one-hundredths of one cent per hundredweight. The director shall determine, by rule, an assessment, that with contribution from the general fund, will support an inspection program to maintain compliance with the provisions of the pasteurized milk ordinance of the national conference on interstate milk shipment. All assessments shall be levied on the operator of the first milk plant receiving the milk for processing. This shall include milk plants that produce their own milk for processing and milk plants that receive milk from other sources. All moneys collected under this section shall be paid to the director by the twentieth day of the succeeding month for the previous month's assessments. The director shall deposit the funds into the dairy inspection account hereby created within the agricultural local fund established in RCW 43.23.230. The funds shall be used only to provide inspection services to the dairy industry. If the operator of a milk plant fails to remit any assessments, that sum shall be a lien on any property owned by him or her, and shall be reported by the director and collected in the manner and with the same priority over other creditors as prescribed for the collection of delinquent taxes under chapters 84.60 and 84.64 RCW.
((This section shall take effect July 1,
1992, and shall expire June 30, 1994.))
Sec. 2. RCW 15.36.107 and 1992 c 160 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) There is created a dairy inspection program advisory committee. The committee shall consist of nine members. The committee shall be appointed by the director from names submitted by dairy producer organizations or from handlers of milk products. The committee shall consist of four members who are producers of milk or their representatives, and four members who are handlers or their representatives, and one member who must be a producer-handler.
(2) The purpose of this advisory committee is to assist the director by providing recommendations regarding the dairy inspection program, that are consistent with the pasteurized milk ordinance. The advisory committee shall (a) review and evaluate the program including the efficiency of the administration of the program, the adequacy of the level of inspection staff, the ratio of inspectors to number of dairy farm inspections per year, and the ratio of inspectors to management employees; and (b) consider alternatives to the state program, which may include privatization of various elements of the inspection program.
(3) The committee shall meet as necessary to complete its work. Meetings of the committee are subject to the open public meetings act.
(((4) Not later than October 15, 1992, the
advisory committee shall issue a preliminary report of its findings to the
dairy industry. The committee shall solicit comments from the dairy industry
which shall be reflected in the committee's final report.
(5) Not later than December 1, 1992, the
advisory committee shall report to the agricultural committees of the house of
representatives and senate its recommendations for long-term structure and
funding of the dairy inspection program.))
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