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

Brief Description: Concerning the fruit and vegetable district fund.

Sponsors: By Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development (originally sponsored by Senators Rasmussen and Schoesler).

Brief History:

Economic Development, Agriculture & Trade: 3/25/05 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 4/5/05, 94-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURE & TRADE

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 21 members: Representatives Linville, Chair; Pettigrew, Vice Chair; Kristiansen, Ranking Minority Member; Skinner, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Buri, Chase, Clibborn, Condotta, Dunn, Grant, Haler, Holmquist, Kenney, Kretz, McCoy, Morrell, Newhouse, Quall, Strow and Wallace.

Staff: Meg Van Schoorl (786-7105).

Background:

The Department of Agriculture (WSDA) inspects unprocessed fruits and vegetables, collects inspection fees, and deposits the fees into the fruit and vegetable inspection account. Funds from the account are used to implement and enforce the fair and orderly marketing of fruits and vegetables through uniform grades, standards, and inspections, and for other authorized expenditures. The account contains sub-accounts for each fruit and vegetable district established by the WSDA under current law and rules.

In 1997, legislation authorized the transfer of $200,000 from the District Two (Yakima) fruit and vegetable inspection account to the plant pest account within the agricultural local fund. The purpose of the transfer was solely to fund activities related to the control of Rhagoletis pomonella (apple maggots) in District Two. By June 30, 2005, any unexpended portion of the $200,000 must be transferred back to the District Two fruit and vegetable inspection account.

Summary of Bill:

The date by which the unexpended portion of the $200,000 must be transferred back to the District Two fruit and vegetable account is extended by four years to June 30, 2009.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: We have an active program to detect the presence of apple maggot in the state's fruit growing areas. In summer 2004, the Department of Agriculture trapped 37 flies in Ellensburg and 39 flies in Yakima, involving a total of $15,000 from the plant pest account. Having the funds remain in the account maintains the ability of the pest boards to initiate action.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Senator Rasmussen, prime sponsor; Leslie Emerick, Washington Department of Agriculture; and Dave Ducharme, Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.