HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2467
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
As Amended by the Senate
Title: An act relating to the registration and administration of fertilizers.
Brief Description: Regulating fertilizers.
Sponsors: By Representatives Warnick, Blake, Grant, Kretz, Newhouse and VanDeWege; by request of Department of Agriculture.
Brief History:
Agriculture & Natural Resources: 1/16/08 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 2/1/08, 95-0.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 3/7/08, 49-0.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES
Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Blake, Chair; VanDeWege, Vice Chair; Kretz, Ranking Minority Member; Warnick, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Eickmeyer, Grant, Hailey, Lantz, Loomis, McCoy, Nelson and Orcutt.
Staff: Colleen Kerr (786-7168).
Background:
Registration
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) requires commercial fertilizer to
be registered by the producer, importer, or packager before distribution. Bulk fertilizer does
not require registration if all the commercial fertilizer products contained in the final product
are already registered. Applications for registration are $50 and applicants are registered for
two-year periods.
Labeling Requirements
Commercial fertilizer distributed in Washington must be clearly labeled. Bulk commercial
fertilizer must be distributed with a written or printed statement and be supplied to the
purchaser at the time of delivery.
Registrant Reporting and Fees
Every registrant or licensee who distributes commercial fertilizer must file a semiannual
report to the WSDA stating the number of net tons of each commercial fertilizer distributed
in Washington. Individuals responsible for payment of inspection fees for commercial
fertilizer distributed in Washington must include the fees with the report. For registrants or
licensees that distribute less than 83 tons of commercial fertilizer or less than167 tons of
commercial lime or an equivalent combination of the two, they must pay the minimum fee of
$25.
WSDA Reports
The WSDA also maintains a fertilizer database of registration information that is open to the
public. The WSDA, in consultation with the Department of Ecology and the Department of
Health, also reports biennially to the Legislature on the levels of nonnutritive substances in
fertilizers.
Summary of Bill:
The following changes are made to existing statutory provisions:
Registration
The registration requirement for customer-formula fertilizers is eliminated if all the components of the fertilizer are registered.
Labeling
The bill clarifies requirements for the labeling of packaged, bulk, and customer-formula
fertilizers.
Registrant Reporting and Fees
The bill reinstates in statute the due dates for fertilizer distribution reports. It also clarifies
the statutes regarding late fees.
Other Provisions
The bill makes technical changes and removes outdated language in the four amended
sections of the statute.
EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):
The Senate amendment removes those sections of the bill that made technical changes to the
provisions regarding customer-formula fertilizers. The underlying bill eliminates the
requirement for registration of customer-formula fertilizers if all the individual components
of the customer-formula fertilizer are registered with the WSDA; those sections are removed
with the Senate amendment and are not amended.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:
(In support) This is a WSDA housekeeping bill that updates outdated sections of the code
regarding the regulation of fertilizer. Fertilizer regulation meets both consumer and
environmental protection objectives. The bill remedies discrepancies in statute regarding the
distribution of commercial fertilizer and eliminates potential confusion around labeling and
reporting. There are no policy changes and no fiscal impact.
(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Representative Warnick, prime sponsor; Mary Beth Lang and Ted Maxwell, Department of Agriculture; and Dan Coyne, FarWest Agribusiness Association.