BILL REQ. #: S-0813.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2011 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/26/11. Referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Marine Waters.
AN ACT Relating to investing in the economy of the state of Washington by creating a mechanism to enhance the production of Pacific salmon in waters located east of Cape Flattery and subject to the agreements made by the state government, the federal government, and tribal governments relating to the cooperative management of the resource; amending RCW 82.27.010, 82.27.030, 82.27.050, 82.27.060, 82.27.070, and 77.12.459; adding a new section to chapter 82.27 RCW; and adding new sections to chapter 77.95 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 82.27.010 and 1995 c 372 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings
indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Enhanced food fish" includes all species of food fish, except
all species of tuna, mackerel, and jack; shellfish; and anadromous game
fish, including by-products and parts thereof, originating within the
territorial and adjacent waters of Washington and salmon originating
from within the territorial and adjacent waters of Oregon, Washington,
and British Columbia, and all troll-caught Chinook salmon originating
from within the territorial and adjacent waters of southeast Alaska.
As used in this subsection, "adjacent" waters of Oregon, Washington,
and Alaska are those comprising the United States fish conservation
zone; "adjacent" waters of British Columbia are those comprising the
Canadian two hundred mile exclusive economic zone; and "southeast
Alaska" means that portion of Alaska south and east of Cape Suckling to
the Canadian border. For purposes of this chapter, point of
origination is established by a document which identifies the product
and state or province in which it originates, including, but not
limited to fish tickets, bills of lading, invoices, or other
documentation required to be kept by governmental agencies.
(2) "Commercial" means related to or connected with buying,
selling, bartering, or processing.
(3) "Possession" means the control of enhanced food fish by the
owner and includes both actual and constructive possession.
Constructive possession occurs when the person has legal ownership but
not actual possession of the enhanced food fish.
(4) "Anadromous game fish" means steelhead trout and anadromous
cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char and includes by-products and also
parts of anadromous game fish, whether fresh, frozen, canned, or
otherwise.
(5) "Landed" means the act of physically placing enhanced food fish
(a) on a tender in the territorial waters of Washington; or (b) on any
land within or without the state of Washington including wharves,
piers, or any such extensions therefrom.
(6) "Salmon" means all species of Pacific salmon, other than
steelhead, from both wild stock or hatchery origins.
(7) "Puget Sound" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 90.71.010.
(8) "Assessment-qualifying catch" means all salmon caught in Puget
Sound under a commercial license issued by the department of fish and
wildlife and that is subject to the Puget Sound salmon enhancement
assessment created in section 2 of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 82.27 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) In addition to the excise tax on the commercial possession of
enhanced food fish provided in RCW 82.27.020, there is also to be
collected at the same time and, except as otherwise provided in this
section, in the same manner a Puget Sound salmon enhancement assessment
for all salmon caught in Puget Sound under a commercial license issued
by the department of fish and wildlife.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Puget Sound
salmon enhancement assessment is five percent of the value of the
salmon at the point of landing.
(3)(a) In instances when the harvester sells an assessment-qualifying catch to a fish buyer licensed under RCW 77.65.280, the fish
buyer is responsible for collecting the entire Puget Sound salmon
enhancement assessment. However, of the five percent of value
collected, one-half must be contributed by the harvester of the salmon
and one-half must be contributed by the fish buyer. The portion of the
assessment contributed by the harvester must be separately accounted
for by the fish buyer as a line item on the associated forms and may
not be simply deducted from the price paid to the harvester.
(b) In instances when a harvester exports the harvester's
assessment-qualifying catch outside of Washington, or otherwise sells
his or her catch to a party that is not a licensed fish buyer under RCW
77.65.280, the harvester is responsible for the entire Puget Sound
salmon enhancement assessment.
Sec. 3 RCW 82.27.030 and 1995 2nd sp.s. c 7 s 1 are each amended
to read as follows:
The tax imposed by RCW 82.27.020 and the assessment imposed by
section 2 of this act shall not apply to: (1) Enhanced food fish
originating outside the state which enters the state as (a) frozen
enhanced food fish or (b) enhanced food fish packaged for retail sales;
(2) the growing, processing, or dealing with food fish or shellfish
which are raised from eggs, fry, or larvae and which are under the
physical control of the grower at all times until being sold or
harvested; and (3) food fish, shellfish, anadromous game fish, and by-products or parts of food fish shipped from outside the state which
enter the state, except as provided in RCW 82.27.010, provided the
taxpayer must have documentation showing shipping origination of fish
exempt under this subsection to qualify for exemption. Such
documentation includes, but is not limited to fish tickets, bills of
lading, invoices, or other documentation required to be kept by
governmental agencies.
Sec. 4 RCW 82.27.050 and 1980 c 98 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
All of the provisions of chapters 82.02 and 82.32 RCW shall be
applicable and have full force and effect with respect to taxes and
assessments imposed under this chapter. The meaning attributed to
words and phrases in chapter 82.04 RCW, insofar as applicable, shall
have full force and effect with respect to taxes imposed under this
chapter.
Sec. 5 RCW 82.27.060 and 2006 c 256 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
The taxes and assessments levied by this chapter shall be due for
payment monthly and remittance therefor shall be made within twenty-five days after the end of the month in which the taxable activity
occurs. The taxpayer on or before the due date shall make out a signed
return, setting out such information as the department of revenue may
require, including the gross measure of the tax, any deductions,
credits, or exemptions claimed, and the amount of tax due for the
preceding monthly period, which amount shall be transmitted to the
department along with the return.
The department may relieve any taxpayer from the obligation of
filing a monthly return and may require the return to cover other
periods, but in no event may periodic returns be filed for a period
greater than one year. In such cases tax payments are due on or before
the last day of the month next succeeding the end of the period covered
by the return.
Sec. 6 RCW 82.27.070 and 2010 c 193 s 17 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) All taxes collected by the department of revenue under this
chapter shall be deposited in the state general fund except for:
(a) The excise tax on anadromous game fish, which shall be
deposited in the state wildlife account; and
(b) The Puget Sound salmon enhancement assessment collected under
section 2 of this act, which must be deposited in the salmon
enhancement assessment dedicated account created in section 7 of this
act.
(2) From January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2013, or until the
department of fish and wildlife notifies the department that the
license reduction goals of the sea urchin or sea cucumber fishery have
been met, whichever occurs first, twenty-five forty-sixths of the
revenues derived from the excise tax on sea urchins collected under RCW
82.27.020 shall be deposited into the sea urchin dive fishery account
created in RCW 77.70.150, and twenty-five forty-sixths of the revenues
derived from the excise tax on sea cucumbers collected under RCW
82.27.020 shall be deposited into the sea cucumber dive fishery account
created in RCW 77.70.190.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 A new section is added to chapter 77.95 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The salmon enhancement assessment dedicated account is created
in the state treasury. All receipts from Puget Sound salmon
enhancement assessment collected under section 2 of this act must be
deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only
after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may only be used in
a manner consistent with section 8 of this act.
(2) In addition to receipts from the Puget Sound salmon enhancement
assessment collected under section 2 of this act, the salmon
enhancement assessment dedicated account may receive voluntary
assessments donated by tribal fishers or other donations made for the
purposes of salmon enhancement.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8 A new section is added to chapter 77.95 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The director must identify one qualifying organization to
partner with the department in order to enhance the harvest
opportunities for salmon and to undertake salmon enhancement projects.
The qualifying organization must be a private, not-for-profit
organization, incorporated prior to the effective date of this section
that has salmon enhancement activities as an organizational mission and
can demonstrate that the majority representation on its board of
directors is composed of individuals who must pay Puget Sound salmon
enhancement assessments under section 2 of this act.
(2) The director must provide as a noncompetitive grant all revenue
deposited by the department of revenue into the salmon enhancement
assessment dedicated account created in section 7 of this act to the
qualifying organization. Neither the department, any other state
agency, nor any other organization may be provided with any revenue
from the salmon enhancement assessment dedicated account and revenue
from the account may only be used by the qualifying organization for
salmon enhancement projects.
(3)(a) Salmon enhancement projects undertaken by the qualifying
organization and funded by grants from the salmon enhancement
assessment dedicated account include the operation of hatcheries and
other projects designed to increase the production of Pacific salmon.
Unless otherwise specifically authorized by the department, all salmon
enhancement projects funded through grants under this section must be
located within Puget Sound, as that term is defined in RCW 90.71.010.
(b) The authority to use grant money for the operation of
hatcheries is to be interpreted broadly to include all activities that
support the operation of Pacific salmon hatcheries. This includes the
harvest of broodstock, the incubation of eggs, the rearing of smolts,
the release of fry, and associated research and educational activities.
All hatchery operation enhancement projects must be carried out by the
qualifying organization consistent with all state laws relating to
hatchery salmon production and release.
Sec. 9 RCW 77.12.459 and 1998 c 190 s 74 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person other
than the United States, an Indian tribe recognized as such by the
federal government, the state, a subdivision of the state, or a
municipal corporation or an agency of such a unit of government shall
not release salmon or steelhead trout into the public waters of the
state and subsequently to recapture and commercially harvest such
salmon or trout.
(2) This section shall not prevent:
(a) Any person from rearing salmon or steelhead trout in pens or in
a confined area under circumstances where the salmon or steelhead trout
are confined and never permitted to swim freely in open water; or
(b) Any qualifying organization partnering with the department for
salmon enhancement under section 8 of this act from operating a salmon
hatchery and releasing salmon for subsequent recapture and commercial
harvest under the authority of the department.