FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESB 5514

                          C 303 L 97

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Authorizing fees for commodity commissions and the department of agriculture.

Sponsors:  Senators Morton, Rasmussen and Swecker; by request of Department of Agriculture.

Senate Committee on Agriculture & Environment

House Committee on Agriculture & Ecology

Background:  Initiative 601 was approved by the voters at the November 1993 general election.  Section 8 provides that no fee may increase in any fiscal year by a percentage in excess of the fiscal growth factor without prior legislative approval.

Commodity commission enabling statutes provide a procedure for the establishment of a grower-funded commission to conduct advertising or production research for the benefit of the growers of that commodity.  Various commodity commission statutes contain different requirements for producers to approve an increase in assessment.

Summary:  Commodity commissions may increase fees by an amount that exceeds the fiscal growth factor without legislative approval if such fees are approved by a referendum of producers that will be paying the fee.

An increase is authorized for fees to administer the organic food certification program.  Such fees are approved through the adoption of a rule by the Department of Agriculture.  The annual license fee for grain warehouses is increased by $150. 

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 0

House     70 24 (House amended)

Senate    25 15 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  May 9, 1997 (Sections 1-3)

          July 27, 1997

          July 1, 1998 (Sections 6 & 7)