SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6253

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

  Agriculture & Rural Economic Development, January 24, 2000

Title:  An act relating to custom meat slaughter and preparation.

Brief Description:  Regulating custom meat slaughter and preparation.

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

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Agriculture & Rural Economic Development:  1/17/2000, 1/24/2000 [DP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Rasmussen, Chair; T. Sheldon, Vice Chair; Gardner, Honeyford, Morton, Prentice, Snyder, Stevens and Swecker.

Staff:  Bob Lee (786-7404)

Background:  There are three categories of meat slaughtering and handling facilities that are not federally inspected, but are subject to state licensing and regulatory requirements.  A custom farm slaughterer is a mobile unit that slaughters meat animals for the owner of the animal.  A custom slaughtering establishment is in a fixed location that slaughters meat food animals for the owner.  The third category is a custom meat facility that can prepare either uninspected meat for its owner, or inspected meat for members of the customer=s household and nonpaying guests.  Custom meat facilities must handle uninspected and inspected meats separately.

Uninspected meat may be prepared only for the use by the owner household and his or her nonpaying guests and employees.

The statutes, enacted over several years since 1959, contain a number of outdated and redundant provisions.

Summary of Bill:  The statutes are reorganized and redundant language is deleted.

Repealed are the following provisions:

(a)the requirement to hold a hearing and for the director to find there is a need for a custom slaughtering establishment prior to issuing a license to open a new business;

(b)an exemption from licensing for meat laboratories at Washington State University, and a requirement that this slaughter of meat must be conducted under inspection and be stamped Ainspected and passed@.

The criminal penalty provisions are deleted.  Civil penalties are deposited in the state general fund.

The processing and slaughtering of ratites, such as ostriches and emu, are included under the regulatory scope of the act.

Specific authority is provided for custom farm slaughter carcass identification requirements and a fee for beef tags.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The state meat inspection laws have not been comprehensively updated for a number of years.  The requirement for the department to hold a hearing and find there is a need for a custom slaughtering establishment may have been appropriate in 1959, but only serves to prevent competition today.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Mary Beth Lang, Dan Jemelka, Dept. of Agriculture; Karla Kay Fullerton, WA Cattlemen=s Association.