H-374                _______________________________________________

                                                      HOUSE BILL NO. 8

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State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Vekich, Kremen, Taylor, K. Wilson, P. King and Baugher

Prefiled with Chief Clerk 1/08/87.  Read first time 1/12/87 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to agricultural and aquacultural marketing; adding a new section to chapter 47.42 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that both consumers and producers of agricultural and aquacultural products benefit from practices and policies which reduce the postproduction costs of making such products available to consumers.  The legislature declares it to be the policy of the state to encourage and promote the marketing of agricultural and aquacultural products directly to consumers at the sites of the production of such products as one means of reducing those costs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 47.42 RCW to read as follows:

          The department shall take such actions as are practicable to assist the marketing of agricultural products, including but not limited to plantation Christmas trees and cultured aquatic products as defined in RCW 15.85.020, at the sites of their production by ensuring that adequate directions to such sites within the state are available to the public.  Adequate directions shall include allowing the placement of signs on public highway rights of way at no charge during the season that such products are available for purchase directly by consumers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.