FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2138

                          C 11 L 94

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Eliminating Washington State University's rodent control responsibilities.

By Representatives Rayburn, Roland, Sheahan, Schoesler and Hansen; by request of Washington State University.

House Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development

Senate Committee on Agriculture

Background:  Washington State University (WSU), through the cooperative extension service, is required by state law to administer a program for destroying ground squirrels, pocket gophers, rabbits, and any other rodent it may designate as being injurious to the agricultural interests of the state.  It is the duty of each person possessing or caring for land to destroy all such rodents.  WSU is to inspect rodent conditions and to supervise the extermination of rodents by landowners. 

WSU may notify a landowner of his or her obligation to exterminate rodents and, if the rodents are not exterminated in a timely manner, may enter the land and exterminate the rodents at the cost of the landowner.  If such an extermination expense is not otherwise paid by the landowner, the board of county commissioners must tax the land to recover those costs. 

Summary:  Two state laws are repealed which directed WSU to administer a rodent inspection and extermination program and to make landowners responsible for the extermination of rodents injurious to agricultural interests.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  92 0

Senate 49 0

Effective:  June 9, 1994