S-385                 _______________________________________________

                                   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8400

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Barr, Hansen, Lee, Gaspard and Benitz

Read first time 1/11/89 and referred to Committee on Agriculture.

WHEREAS, The services of agricultural credit and marketing services are essential to the public welfare; and

          WHEREAS, The clearing of title to agricultural crops has been a source of serious inequities and inefficiencies for industries providing these services for many years; and

          WHEREAS, No solution to these problems is forthcoming from the industries themselves because of certain legal and technical issues that can be resolved  only with the assistance of the state;

          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, By the Senate of the state of Washington, the House of Representatives concurring, That a joint select committee on agricultural products clear title be established to bring about a resolution of the agricultural products clear title issue and establish a program to this end to accomplish the following goals:

          (1) Assure that any resolution of the issues involved does not involve costs to the state of Washington;

          (2) Assure that any resolution, so far as possible, serves the respective interests of holders of security interests in crops, of buyers of farm products, and of creditors;

          (3) Formulate such recommendations to the President of the United States and the Congress of the United States as may be deemed useful to resolve these issues; and

          (4) Provide adequate opportunity for public comment on the committee's progress and recommendations; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee consist of thirteen members, two of which shall be members of the senate committee on agriculture, representing the majority and minority, appointed by the president of the senate; two of which shall be members of the house committee on agriculture and rural development, representing the majority and minority, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; three members selected by holders of security interests in crops; three members selected by buyers of farm products; one member selected by the Washington state bar association; and two members of the general public, appointed jointly by the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the committee report their findings and recommendations to the legislature at the regular session held in 1990; and

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That seventy thousand dollars from moneys appropriated to the legislature be used solely for the expenses of the committee, thirty-five thousand dollars of which shall be provided to the senate and thirty-five thousand dollars of which shall be provided to the house of representatives.