SHB 1558 -
By Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development
NOT CONSIDERED
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that in 2008 the
legislature passed Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 6468, which
provided temporary tax relief for honey beekeepers. The legislature
further finds that the 2008 legislation included the following intent
language: "The legislature finds that recent occurrences of colony
collapse disorder and the resulting loss of bee hives will have an
economic impact on the state's agricultural sector. The legislature
intends to provide temporary business and occupation tax relief for
Washington's apiarists." The legislature further finds that in 2013,
colony collapse disorder is still a significant problem for the apiary
industry.
(2) Because of the continuing problems associated with colony
collapse disorder, it is the legislature's intent to extend the tax
relief provided in the 2008 legislation, subject to a rigorous and
periodic review of the health of honey bee colonies in Washington to
determine whether colony collapse disorder is still a significant
problem in the apiary industry. It is the legislature's intent that
the tax relief provided in this act will not be extended when data
indicates that honey bee colony survivorship has improved, as provided
in the colony collapse disorder progress report, published annually by
the United States department of agriculture, and data provided by the
Washington state department of agriculture to the joint legislative
audit and review committee.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 82.08 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to sales of feed
to an eligible apiarist for use in the raising of a bee colony used to
make honey bee products.
(2) This exemption is available only if the buyer provides the
seller with an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by
the department.
(3) The definitions in RCW 82.04.629 apply to this section.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2016.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 A new section is added to chapter 82.12 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The provisions of this chapter do not apply with respect to the
use of feed to an eligible apiarist for use in the raising of a bee
colony used to make honey bee products.
(2) The definitions in RCW 82.04.629 apply to this section.
(3) This section expires July 1, 2016.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 43.136 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) As part of the joint legislative audit and review committee's
tax preference review under this chapter for the tax preferences
contained within this act, the joint legislative audit and review
committee must also evaluate whether Washington state taxes are a
disproportionately large percentage of the commercial beekeeper's
operational or capital costs, including an analysis of the impact of
Washington state taxes on similar sized businesses.
(2) This section expires July 1, 2016.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 (1) The department of agriculture shall
convene a honey bee work group to address challenges facing the honey
bee industry and to develop a report outlining solutions that bolster
the use of Washington honey bee colonies used to pollinate tree fruits,
berries, and seeds. The work group must include the following members:
Two members from the Washington state beekeepers association; one
apiarist as defined in RCW 15.60.005 with no less than one thousand
hives; one apiarist as defined in RCW 15.60.005 with no more than
twenty-five hives; one member from the Washington State University
apiary lab; one member from the Washington state department of
agriculture; one member from the tree fruit industry; and one member
from the seed industry.
(2) The work group may include or seek input from other agencies,
organizations, or stakeholders. By December 31, 2014, and in
compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the department must submit the work
group's report to the legislature that includes the following: (a)
Proposed changes to the industry's tax structure to increase
competitiveness with out-of-state beekeepers for pollination contracts;
(b) providing analytics and metrics to measure the value of the
proposed tax structure changes; (c) proposed additional resources
needed to continue applied and basic research to support commercial
beekeepers in the state and to recover colony losses; (d) identifying
colony levels needed to meet the pollination demands of the Washington
agricultural industry; (e) identifying other policy changes that would
increase the competitiveness of Washington beekeepers; (f) other
industry needs that would increase the market share of pollination
contracts awarded to Washington beekeepers; and (g) metrics needed to
provide accountability for state resources invested in the honey bee
industry.
(3) This section expires July 1, 2016.
Sec. 6 RCW 82.04.629 and 2008 c 314 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) This chapter does not apply to amounts derived from the
wholesale sale of honey bee products by an eligible apiarist who owns
or keeps bee colonies and who does not qualify for an exemption under
RCW 82.04.330 in respect to such sales.
(2) The exemption provided in subsection (1) of this section does
not apply to any person selling such products at retail or to any
person selling manufactured substances or articles.
(3) The following definitions in this subsection apply ((to))
throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(a) "Bee colony" means a natural group of honey bees containing
seven thousand or more workers and one or more queens, housed in a man-made hive with movable frames, and operated as a beekeeping unit.
(b) "Eligible apiarist" means a person who owns or keeps one or
more bee colonies and who grows, raises, or produces honey bee products
for sale at wholesale and is registered under RCW 15.60.021.
(c) "Honey bee products" means queen honey bees, packaged honey
bees, honey, pollen, bees wax, propolis, or other substances obtained
from honey bees. "Honey bee products" does not include manufactured
substances or articles.
(4) This section expires July 1, 2016.
Sec. 7 RCW 82.04.630 and 2008 c 314 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) This chapter does not apply to amounts received by an eligible
apiarist, as defined in RCW 82.04.629, for providing bee pollination
services to a farmer using a bee colony owned or kept by the person
providing the pollination services.
(2) The definitions in RCW 82.04.213 apply to this section.
(3) This section expires July 1, 2016.
Sec. 8 RCW 82.08.0204 and 2008 c 314 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The tax levied by RCW 82.08.020 does not apply to the sale of
honey bees to an eligible apiarist, as defined in RCW 82.04.629. This
exemption is available only if the buyer provides the seller with an
exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by the
department.
(2) This section expires July 1, 2016.
Sec. 9 RCW 82.12.0204 and 2008 c 314 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The provisions of this chapter do not apply in respect to the
use of honey bees by an eligible apiarist, as defined in RCW 82.04.629.
This exemption is available only if the buyer provides the seller with
an exemption certificate in a form and manner prescribed by the
department.
(2) This section expires July 1, 2016.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10 2008 c 314 s 7 (uncodified) is repealed.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 11 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
July 1, 2013."
SHB 1558 -
By Committee on Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development
NOT CONSIDERED
On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "beekeepers;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 82.04.629, 82.04.630, 82.08.0204, and 82.12.0204; adding a new section to chapter 82.08 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 82.12 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.136 RCW; creating new sections; repealing 2008 c 314 s 7 (uncodified); providing an effective date; providing expiration dates; and declaring an emergency."
EFFECT: The following changes were made to section 5:
Extends the deadline for submitting the report from December 31,
2013, to December 31, 2014, allowing additional time for the honey bee
work group to be formed and produce the required report to the
Legislature.
Sets an expiration date on the honey bee work group of July 1,
2016, consistent with other expiration dates in the bill.
Clarifies that the Department of Agriculture has the responsibility
for convening the work group and submitting the work group's report to
the Legislature.