Brief Description: Regulating fertilizers.

Sponsors: By Representatives Warnick, Blake, Grant, Kretz, Newhouse and VanDeWege; by request of Department of Agriculture.

House Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources
Senate Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development

Background:

Fertilizer 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 than 167 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:

Various changes are made to existing statutory provisions regulating commercial fertilizer.

Labeling.
Requirements for the labeling of packaged, bulk, and customer-formula fertilizers are clarified.

Registrant Reporting and Fees.
The due dates for fertilizer distribution reports are reinstated in statute. Statutes regarding late fees are clarified.

Other Provisions.
Technical changes are made and outdated language is removed in the four amended sections of the statute.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   95   0
Senate   49   0   (Senate amended)
House   94   0   (House concurred)

Effective: June 12, 2008