"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The department of agriculture shall convene a milk pricing task force to consider the long-term economic stability of the dairy industry in Washington state over recent decades with special attention to the current depression in prices impacting the industry in February 2009.
     (2) The task force shall be appointed by the director and composed of four persons representing dairy farmers; two persons representing dairy processors; up to five representatives of various distributors, wholesalers, and retailers who sell milk or milk products in the state; and the director of the department of agriculture or the director's designee. The task force shall select a chair from its membership.
     (3) The task force shall examine:
     (a) The current federal order pricing system and its limited ability to prevent extreme volatility in prices;
     (b) How other states have supplemented federal milk pricing regulation with additional state regulations;
     (c) Washington state current state milk pricing statutes and whether the law needs to be updated;
     (d) The possible use of requesting congressional compact authority between states for the purpose of jointly regulating milk prices between states; and
     (e) Developing a recommendation as to whether Washington state should request a similar congressional compact authority for working with neighboring states.
     (4) The task force shall meet periodically in Olympia, Washington. Task force members shall serve without compensation and are not eligible for reimbursement from the state for travel or per diem expenses.
     (5) The department of agriculture shall provide staff for the task force.
     (6) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations by December 15, 2010, to the appropriate committees of the legislature."