(1) A milk processing plant must obtain an annual milk processing plant license from the department, which shall expire on June 30th of each year. A milk processing plant may choose to process: (a) Grade A milk and milk products; or (b) other milk products that are not classified grade A.
(2) Only one license may be required to process milk; however, milk processing plants must obtain the necessary endorsements from the department in order to process products as defined for each type of milk or milk product processing. Application for a license shall be on a form prescribed by the director and accompanied by a two hundred fifty dollar annual license fee beginning July 1, 2015. The applicant shall include on the application the full name of the applicant for the license and the location of the milk processing plant he or she intends to operate and any other necessary information. Upon the approval of the application by the director and compliance with the provisions of this chapter, including the applicable rules adopted under this chapter by the department, the applicant shall be issued a license or a renewal of a license.
(3) Licenses shall be issued to cover only those products, processes, and operations specified in the license application and approved for licensing. If a license holder wishes to engage in processing a type of milk product that is different than the type specified on the application supporting the licensee's existing license and processing that type of food product would require a major addition to or modification of the licensee's processing facilities, the licensee shall submit an amendment to the current license application. In such a case, the licensee may engage in processing the new type of milk product only after the amendment has been approved by the department.
(4) A licensee under this section shall not be required to obtain a food processing plant license under chapter
69.07 RCW to process milk or milk products.
(5) The director shall waive the fee for a food processing license under chapter
69.07 RCW for persons who are also licensed as a milk processing plant.
Findings—Intent—2015 3rd sp.s. c 27: "(1) The legislature finds that section 309(4), chapter 4, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess. directed the department of agriculture to convene and facilitate a work group with appropriate stakeholders to review fees supporting programs within the department that are also supported with the state general fund.
(2) The legislature further finds that with the help of a consulting firm, the department of agriculture identified fees in the food safety and animal health programs that met the budget proviso criteria. The department then formed a work group with representatives from dairy, food processing, and other relevant professional associations.
(3) The legislature further finds that the work group's final report recommends fee increases for fees that do not completely cover the costs of services provided and that will make programs within the department of agriculture less reliant on the state general fund. Therefore, the legislature intends to implement the recommendations of the work group's report." [
2015 3rd sp.s. c 27 s 1.]