Purpose: Chapter 16-157 WAC, Organic food standards and certification, adopts the national organic program and provides certification for producers, processors and handlers wishing to obtain organic certification. The rule sets fees for obtaining certification and provides organic certification logos for those parties certified under the rule. Organic certification is also offered for retail food stores. The proposed amendments are necessary to improve the efficiency of the WSDA organic food program and enable it to provide better service to organic producers.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 16-157-220.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapters 15.86 and 34.05 RCW.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-18-089 on September 7, 2005.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: October 28, 2005.

Valoria H. Loveland

Director

OTS-8305.1

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 03-03-044, filed 1/10/03, effective 2/10/03)

WAC 16-157-220   Producer fee schedule.   Producers who wish to apply for the organic food certification program must apply to the department each year.

     (1) The cost per application shall be based on the following fee schedule.

     (a) Renewal applicants -

     Application fees must be based on the previous calendar year's sales of organic food. In the event that the current calendar year's sales exceed the previous year's sales, the department may bill the producer for the additional fee. In the event that the current calendar year's sales are less than the previous year's sales, the producer may request a refund for the reduced fee. In addition, renewal applications postmarked after ((March)) February 1, must pay a late fee of seventy-five dollars. Renewal applicants that are adding additional sites to their organic certification must pay a new site fee of fifty dollars for each additional site.

     (b) New applicants -

     Application fees must be based on an estimate of the current year's sales of organic food. In the event that the current calendar year's sales exceed the estimate, the department may bill the producer for the additional fee. In the event that the current calendar year's sales are less than the estimate, the producer may request a refund for the reduced fee. In addition, new applicants must pay a one hundred dollar new applicant fee. New applicants that are seeking organic certification for more than one site must pay a site fee of fifty dollars for each additional site. The fee shall accompany the application.

SALES			ANNUAL FEE
$ 0	-	$ 15,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 200
$ 15,001	-	$ 20,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 225
$ 20,001	-	$ 25,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 280
$ 25,001	-	$ 30,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 335
$ 30,001	-	$ 35,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 390
$ 35,001	-	$ 42,500	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 470
$ 42,501	-	$ 50,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 560
$ 50,001	-	$ 65,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 670
$ 65,001	-	$ 80,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 835
$ 80,001	-	$100,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,000
$100,001	-	$125,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,150
$125,001	-	$150,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,300
$150,001	-	$175,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,450
$175,001	-	$200,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,600
$200,001	-	$240,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,750
$240,001	-	$280,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,900
$280,001	-	$325,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,050
$325,001	-	$375,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,200
$375,001	-	$425,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,450
$425,001	-	$500,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,700
$500,001	-	$750,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3,000
$750,001	-	(($7,000,000)) and up	. . $2,200 plus 0.11% of gross organic sales
((over		$7,000,000	. . . . . . . . . . . . . $10,000))

     (2) Transitional acreage fee - In addition to the producer application fee, each applicant must pay a fee of ((five)) fifty dollars per ((acre)) site for the land for which they are requesting transitional certification.

[Statutory Authority: Chapter 15.86 RCW. 03-03-044, § 16-157-220, filed 1/10/03, effective 2/10/03; 02-10-090, § 16-157-220, filed 4/29/02, effective 5/30/02.]