HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1780

As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to the fruit and vegetable district fund.

Brief Description:  Concerning moneys in the fruit and vegetable district fund.

Sponsors:  By Representatives Armstrong, Linville, B. Chandler and Grant.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Agriculture & Ecology:  2/20/01 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/9/01, 98-0.

Passed Senate: 4/6/01, 45-0.

Passed Legislature.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Extends the date by which monies transferred from a district fruit and vegetable fund must be expended for apple maggot control activities or be returned to the district fund.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & ECOLOGY

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 14 members: Representatives G. Chandler, Republican Co‑Chair; Linville, Democratic Co‑Chair; Cooper, Democratic Vice Chair; Mielke, Republican Vice Chair; B. Chandler, Delvin, Dunshee, Grant, Hunt, Kirby, Quall, Roach, Schoesler and Sump.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786‑7105).

Background:

State laws require the director of Agriculture to establish standards and grades for apples, apricots, Italian prunes, peaches, sweet cherries, pears, potatoes and asparagus and allow the director to establish them for other fruits and vegetables.  For the purposes of these laws, the state is divided into not less that three fruit and vegetable inspection districts.  The fees collected for inspection services are deposited in a district fund, which is used as a revolving fund to carry out services within the district.  Some of the monies in the district fund are also transferred to the state Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Trust Account.

In 1997 legislation authorized a transfer of $200,000 in District #2 funds to the Plant Pest Account for activities related to apple maggot control.  Funds from this transfer that are unexpended by June 30, 2001, are to be returned to the district fund.

Summary of Bill:

The date by which monies transferred from the district fund of District #2 must be expended from the Plant Pest Account for apple maggot control activities or be returned to the district fund is extended by two years to June 30, 2003.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on June 30, 2001.

Testimony For: (1) This extension of the transfer of funds is requested by the industry, and  (2) Although not a lot of the transferred amount has been used for apple maggot control to date, it has been an important source of monies for taking actions when a problem does arise.  As more orchards become abandoned, the need for controlling apple maggot will increase to protect the marketing ability of those who are producing apples.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: (In Favor) Representative Armstrong, prime sponsor; Leslie Emerick, Department of Agriculture; and Dave Ducharme, Yakima Valley Growers and Shippers Association.