BILL REQ. #:  H-2157.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/23/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating a mobile custom farm slaughtering unit loan program; amending RCW 43.23.001; and adding new sections to chapter 43.23 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 43.23.001 and 1995 c 374 s 61 are each amended to read as follows:
     For purposes of this chapter:
     (1) "Department" means department of agriculture((;)).
     (2) "Director" means the director of the department.
     (3) "Eligible public applicant" means any political subdivision of the state, including but not limited to conservation districts, counties, cities, towns, special purpose districts, and other municipal corporations or quasi-municipal corporations.
     (4) "Fixed facility" means a stationary structure or building used for livestock slaughtering operations.
     (5) "Mobile slaughtering unit" means a transportable structure used for livestock slaughtering operations.
     (6) "Outlay account" means the local agricultural slaughter stimulus outlay account created in section 2 of this act.
     (7) "Person" means any individual, partnership, association, corporation, or organized group of persons whether or not incorporated.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:
     The local agricultural slaughter stimulus outlay account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from appropriations made to the account and any loan payments of principal and interest derived from loans made under section 3 of this act must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used by the director only for loans consistent with section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 43.23 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department shall use any funds available in the outlay account to provide loans to an eligible public applicant for either:
     (a) The purchase of a mobile slaughtering unit by the eligible public applicant that may be leased by the eligible public applicant for slaughtering operations; or
     (b) The funding of a program administered by the eligible public applicant designed to provide incentives for the refurbishment or expansion of the capacity of an existing fixed unit within the eligible public applicant's jurisdiction.
     (2) The director may establish policies and procedures necessary for prioritizing, processing, reviewing, and approving applications for loans under this section.
     (3) All loans provided under this section to an eligible public applicant must specify that the proposed mobile slaughtering unit or fixed facility investment will be capable of producing inspected meat, as defined in RCW 16.49.015. Any use of the resultant mobile slaughtering unit or fixed facility as a custom meat facility, as defined in RCW 16.49.015 must be consistent with the requirements of RCW 16.49.055.
     (4) Loan repayment terms and conditions must be negotiated between the director and the eligible public applicant. All loan payments received by the department, less administrative reimbursements to the department of up to three percent of all repayments, must be deposited into the outlay account.