Title: An act relating to requiring the apple commission board positions to be composed of fifteen members allocated on a geographic basis.

Brief Description: Increasing the apple commission from thirteen to fifteen members.

Sponsors: Representatives Chandler, Linville, Holmquist, Eickmeyer, Schoesler and Grant.

Brief Summary of Bill

• Expands the voting membership of the Apple Commission by adding two producer members and alters eligibility requirements for producer members of the Commission.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Linville, Chair; Rockefeller, Vice Chair; Schoesler, Ranking Minority Member; Holmquist, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Kristiansen, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Eickmeyer, Grant, Hunt, McDermott, Orcutt, Quall and Sump.

The state's Apple Commission (Commission) is composed of 13 voting members: nine apple producers and four apple dealers, and the Director of Agriculture as a non-voting member. The producers are elected from three grower districts and the dealers are elected from two dealer districts. Grower District No. 1 includes Chelan, Okanogan, and Douglas counties; Grower District No. 2 includes Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties; and Grower District No. 3 includes all other counties.

The Commission's laws allow some cross-over of producer/dealer activities in the eligibility of a producer to be a member. A producer member of the Commission may:

• own and operate an apple warehouse and pack and store apples grown by others as long as a substantial quantity of the apples handled in the warehouse are grown by the producer member; and

• sell apples grown by the producer member and others so long as the producer member does not sell a larger quantity of apples grown by others than those grown by himself or herself.

The number of producer members of the Apple Commission is increased by two (to 11). One of the additional members is assigned to District No. 2 and one is assigned to District No. 3. Of the two members now from District No. 3, at least one must be engaged in growing and producing apples in Grant County.

A provision of the Apple Commission's laws is repealed that allows, under certain limitations, a person to be a producer member of the Commission if the person owns and operates an apple warehouse, packs and stores apples grown by others, or sells apples grown by others.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The bill clarifies the eligibility of producer members of the Commission and expands its membership to reflect shifts in the production of apples. It has been reviewed by other organizations in the apple industry and is supported by a broad consensus in the industry.

Testified: Representative Chandler, prime sponsor; Welcome Sauer, Washington Apple Commission; and Miles Kohl, Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association.