Title: An act relating to pesticide registration and license fees.

Brief Description: Addressing pesticide registration and license fees.

Sponsors: Senator Spanel; by request of Department of Agriculture.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 2/4/08, 2/7/08 [DP, DNP, w/oRec].

Passed Senate: 2/19/08, 31-16.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Fairley, Hatfield, Hobbs, Keiser, Kohl-Welles, Oemig, Regala, Rockefeller and Tom.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senator Roach.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Carrell, Hewitt, Parlette and Schoesler.

Staff: Elise Greef (786-7708)

Background: The Department of Agriculture administers a pesticide management program, along with associated licensing and registration. The program encompasses over a dozen types of pesticide licenses.

Collections from pesticide license and registration fees are deposited into the pesticide sub-account in the Agricultural Local Account (126). These fees provide 75 percent of the funding for the pesticide program.

Pesticide license and registration fees are set in statute and were last raised ten years ago, in 1998. The pesticide sub-account is solvent through the current biennium but is projected to be negative thereafter, given current license and fee rates and levels of expenditure.

Summary of Bill: The bill increases pesticide and license registration fees by approximately 33 percent, ranging from $7 to $56, depending on the current fee.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: January 1, 2009.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The Department of Agriculture (Department) is bringing forth this request now because the account's expenditures have outpaced its revenues for the last four years as operational costs have increased, collective bargaining salary and benefit increases have gone into place, and investments have been made to improve information technology (IT) infrastructure that supports the program and clients. The Department looked at their need and calculated the proposed new fees based on an across-the-board percent increase. Industry users support the bill, though believe one-time IT costs should be paid by the General Fund. Also have some concern about the dollar value of a couple of the fees.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Mary Beth Lang, Department of Agriculture; Dan Coyne: Crop Life America, Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment, Far West Agribusiness Association.