Brief Description: Changing fees in the weights and measures program.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development (originally sponsored by Senators Rasmussen, Schoesler, Jacobsen, Fraser and Shin; by request of Department of Agriculture).

Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development
House Committee on Economic Development, Agriculture & Trade

Background: The Weights and Measures Program regulates the use and accuracy of all commercial weighing and measuring devices in the state except in Seattle and Spokane. These include gas pumps, grocery store scales, truck scales, home heating oil truck meters, liquid gas meters, and taximeters. The program consists of device inspections, fuel quality monitoring, price verification inspections, package inspection, and investigation of complaints. This program is administered by the Department of Agriculture.

Seattle and Spokane each have their own programs for their respective jurisdictions. Those programs include most, but not all, of the inspections conducted by the department.

Device registration fees were established in 1995 as the mechanism to fund the administration of these programs. Prior to 1995, the cost was funded from the state general fund.

Summary: The registration fee for numerous devices and the license fees for weighers, weigh-masters, and service agents are increased. The increase in fees are phased-in over a two year period by equal amounts with the first half taking affect on July 1, 2006 and the second half taking affect on July 1, 2007.

The department is to convene its weights and measures advisory committee on a quarterly basis and is to report to the Legislature in December 2006 and in December 2007.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      38   9
House      97   1   (House amended)
Senate      41   7   (Senate concurred)   

Effective:   July 1, 2006
         July 1, 2007 (Section 2)