S-4126               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6821

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senator Bluechel

Read first time 1/29/90 and referred to Committee on  Economic Development & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to industrial insurance payments by certified organic food producers; adding new sections to chapter 15.86 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 state certified organic food production is beneficial toward maintaining a clean environment and protecting the health of consumers and agricultural laborers of this state.  Organic production, being a heavily labor intensive undertaking, does not have the ability to compete efficiently with nonorganic producers.  Therefore, in the effort to assist organic producers and to encourage state certification of organic food production, the legislature enacts sections 1 and 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department of labor and industries shall reduce the industrial insurance premiums paid by a state certified organic food producer by the amount a producer has paid for certification as an organic producer.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The director shall investigate claims of financial hardship by certified organic farmers that could be remedied by reducing their levels of taxation.  The director shall act as an ombudsman for certified organic farmers and attempt to find ways of relieving the tax levels on financially weak certified organic producers and thereby enabling them to remain competitive in agricultural markets.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act are each added to chapter 15.86 RCW.