2023 Regular Session

Prefiled 01/04/23.Read first time 01/09/23.Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks.

AN ACT Relating to the beef commission's levied assessment; and amending RCW 16.67.120.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 16.67.120 and 2002 c 313 s 83 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) There is hereby levied an assessment of ((one dollar per))$2.50 head on all Washington cattle sold in this state or elsewhere to be paid by the seller at the time of sale: PROVIDED, That if such sale is accompanied by a brand inspection by the department such an assessment may be collected at the same time, place and in the same manner as brand inspection fees. Such fees may be collected by the livestock ((services division))identification program of the department and transmitted to the commission: PROVIDED FURTHER, That, if such sale is made without a brand inspection by the department the assessment shall be paid by the seller and transmitted directly to the commission by the ((fifteenth))15th day of the month following the month the transaction occurred. $1.50 of the $2.50 assessment levied under this subsection may not be collected at the first point of sale of any calf identified with a green tag as identified in RCW 16.57.160.

(2) The procedures for collecting all state and federal assessments under this chapter shall be as required by the federal order and as described by rules adopted by the commission.

(3) The commission shall submit a report by January 1st of each year, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, to the appropriate committees of the legislature having oversight over agriculture. The report must provide an accounting of the funds collected under this section for the previous year, including a record of the amount collected, the amount spent, and the purposes for which the funds were used.