HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1308

             As Reported By House Committee On:

               Agriculture & Rural Development

Title:  An act relating to the beef commission.

Brief Description:  Modifying beef commission membership.

Sponsors:  Representatives Kremen, Tate and Jacobsen.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Agriculture & Rural Development, February 24, 1993, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Rayburn, Chair; Kremen, Vice Chair; Chandler, Chair; Schoesler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Chappell; Foreman; Grant; Karahalios; and Lisk.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:  The Washington State Beef Commission was established to provide programs to: increase beef consumption; develop more efficient production, processing, and marketing practices for the beef industry; identify beef products regarding quality and origin; and eliminate transportation inequities faced by the industry.  The commission is composed of the following 10 voting members:  three beef producers, two dairy (beef) producers, three feeders, one livestock saleyard operator, and one meat packer.  These members are appointed by the director of agriculture and serve three year terms of office.  A representative of the Department of Agriculture serves as a nonvoting member of the commission.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Effective July 1, 1993, the number of members on the Washington State Beef Commission is reduced.  The number of members representing beef producers is reduced from three to one; the number representing dairy (beef) producers is reduced from two to one; and the number representing feeders is reduced from three to one.  Persons selected to fill positions representing these categories of members effective July 1 are to be chosen from among the members of the commission who currently represent those categories of members.  The selections are to be made by the commission.  However, if the commission does not make its selections by June 15, 1993, the selections are to be made by the director of agriculture.  Staggered terms of office are assigned to these members.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill would have added one more dairy (beef) representative as a voting member of the commission.  The substitute bill reduces the number of members on the commission representing the beef producers, dairy (beef) producers, and feeders to one each.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause.  Most of the provisions, sections 1 and 2, take effect July 1, 1993.  Section 3, regarding the selection of appointments, takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Original Bill: The portion of the commission's revenues provided by sales of dairy beef is high enough to warrant dairy representation for dairy producers on the commission which is equal to that for beef producers.

Testimony Against:  Original Bill: (1) Increasing the membership of the commission will just increase its costs.  (2) Increasing the membership for the dairy industry will create an imbalance.  Feeders generate 40 percent of the revenues of the commission, but are not asking for increased representation on the commission.

Witnesses:  Original Bill: Dan Coyne, Washington State Dairy Federation (in favor); Rick Vande Graaf, Washington State Cattlefeeders Association (opposed); and Ken Davis, Washington Cattlemens Association.