BILL REQ. #:  S-4124.1 

Read first time 01/26/2004.   Referred to Committee on Agriculture.

     AN ACT Relating to adulteration of commercial feed; amending RCW 15.53.902 and 15.53.904; and prescribing penalties.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 15.53.902 and 1995 c 374 s 39 are each amended to read as follows:
     It is unlawful for any person to distribute an adulterated feed. A commercial feed is deemed to be adulterated:
     (1) If it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health; but in case the substance is not an added substance, such commercial feed shall not be considered adulterated under this subsection if the quantity of such substance in such commercial feed does not ordinarily render it injurious to health; or
     (2) If it bears or contains any added poisonous, added deleterious, or added nonnutritive substance which is unsafe within the meaning of section 406 of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act (other than one which is (a) a pesticide chemical in or on a raw agricultural commodity; or (b) a food additive); or
     (3) If it is, or it bears, or contains any food additive which is unsafe within the meaning of section 409 of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 348); or
     (4) If it is, or it bears, or contains any animal protein prohibited in ruminant feed that is unsafe within the meaning of federal regulations promulgated under section 409 of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 348); or
     (5) If it is a raw agricultural commodity and it bears or contains a pesticide chemical which is unsafe within the meaning of section 408(a) of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act: PROVIDED, That where a pesticide chemical has been used in or on a raw agricultural commodity in conformity with an exemption granted or a tolerance prescribed under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and such raw agricultural commodity has been subjected to processing such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydrating, or milling, the residue of such pesticide chemical remaining in or on such processed feed shall not be deemed unsafe if such residue in or on the raw agricultural commodity has been removed to the extent possible in good manufacturing practice and the concentration of such residue in the processed feed is not greater than the tolerance prescribed for the raw agricultural commodity unless the feeding of such processed feed will result or is likely to result in a pesticide residue in the edible product of the animal, which is unsafe within the meaning of section 408(a) of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act; or
     (((5))) (6) If it is, or it bears or contains any color additive which is unsafe within the meaning of section 706 of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act; or
     (((6))) (7) If it is, or it bears or contains any new animal drug that is unsafe within the meaning of section 512 of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act (21 U.S.C. Sec. 360b); or
     (((7))) (8) If any valuable constituent has been in whole or in part omitted or abstracted therefrom or any less valuable substance substituted therefor; or
     (((8))) (9) If its composition or quality falls below or differs from that which it is purported or is represented to possess by its labeling; or
     (((9))) (10) If it contains a drug and the methods used in or the facilities or controls used for its manufacture, processing, or packaging do not conform to current good manufacturing practice rules adopted by the department to assure that the drug meets the requirements of this chapter as to safety and has the identity and strength and meets the quality and purity characteristics that it purports or is represented to possess. In adopting such rules, the department shall adopt the current good manufacturing practice regulations for type A medicated articles and type B and type C medicated feeds established under authority of the federal food, drug, and cosmetic act, unless the department determines that they are not appropriate to the conditions that exist in this state; or
     (((10))) (11) If it contains viable, prohibited (primary) noxious weed seeds in excess of one per pound, or if it contains viable, restricted (secondary) noxious weed seeds in excess of twenty-five per pound. The primary and secondary noxious weed seeds shall be those as named pursuant to the provisions of chapter 15.49 RCW and rules adopted thereunder.

Sec. 2   RCW 15.53.904 and 1965 ex.s. c 31 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this chapter or the rules and regulations issued thereunder or who shall impede, obstruct, hinder, or otherwise prevent or attempt to prevent the department in the performance of its duty in connection with the provisions of this chapter, shall be adjudged guilty of a misdemeanor ((and shall be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than one hundred dollars for the first violation, and not less than two hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars for a subsequent violation)) as provided in RCW 9A.20.021. In all prosecutions under this chapter involving the composition of a lot of commercial feed, a certified copy of the official analysis signed by the department shall be accepted as prima facie evidence of the composition.
     (2) Any person convicted of intentionally violating RCW 15.53.902(4) or the rules issued thereunder is guilty of a gross misdemeanor as provided in RCW 9A.20.021.
     (3) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the department to report for prosecution or for the institution of seizure proceedings as a result of minor violations of this chapter when it believes that the public interest will be best served by a suitable notice of warning in writing.
     (((3))) (4) It shall be the duty of each prosecuting attorney to whom any violation is reported to cause appropriate proceedings to be instituted and prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction without delay. Before the department reports a violation for such prosecution, an opportunity shall be given the distributor to present ((his)) the distributor's view in writing or orally to the department.
     (((4))) (5) The department is hereby authorized to apply for and the court to grant a temporary or permanent injunction restraining any person from violating or continuing to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated under this chapter notwithstanding the existence of other remedies at law. Said injunction to be issued without bond.