ANALYSIS OF HB 1563

House Agriculture & Ecology Committee                                               February 11, 1999

- Appropriates $3.75 million from the General Fund to Washington State University (WSU) for each of the next two fiscal years for WSU=s safe foods initiative and dedicates $0.5 million of that amount each year for competitive grants by the Commission on Pesticide Registration.

- Identifies the responsibilities of WSU and the Commission for the elements of the initiative.

BACKGROUND:

The nation's land grant university system was established with the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.  By 1914, Congress had established the three principal parts of the land grant system: support for colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts, agricultural experiment stations, and a cooperative extension service.  Washington State University is this state=s land grant university.

The Commission on Pesticide Registration may use the state monies it receives for: conducting studies concerning the registration of pesticides for minor crops and minor uses, conducting studies concerning the availability of pesticides for emergency uses, a program for tracking the availability of pesticides for such crops and uses, and for the support of the Commission.  Legislation passed by the House this session would broaden the scope of the Commission's studies to include studies regarding research, implementation, and demonstration of integrated pest management and pesticide resistance management programs.

SUMMARY:

$3.75 million, or as much thereof as necessary, is appropriated from the General Fund to Washington State University for each of the next two fiscal years.  The money is provided solely for the purposes of WSU=s safe foods initiative and $0.5 million of it is provided each year solely for competitive grants by the Commission on Pesticide Registration.

The safe foods initiative is established to: (1) promote safe food products for domestic and global markets, (2) protect food crops from devastating pests, and (3) create high-quality, economically viable, safe food production systems.

To promote safe food products for domestic and global markets, WSU must establish faculty and support positions in food microbiology, post-harvest vegetable quality science, food safety information, cereal chemistry, and animal disease and food safety science.  To create high-quality, economically viable, safe food production systems WSU must establish faculty and support positions in rangeland management, livestock extension education, range and livestock management, urban/rural agricultural issues, agricultural animal waste management and environmental quality, animal waste management, wheat breeding technicians, and reproductive biology.

To protect food crops from devastating pests, WSU must establish faculty and support positions in tree fruit entomology, drylands cropping systems, weed science, vegetable pathology, tree fruit pathology, insect biological control and integrated pest management, and soil fertility and microbiology.  For this objective of the initiative, the Commission must fund projects in integrated pest management in nonchemical control measures in agriculture, natural resources, and urban environment.