HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 2491

As Passed House:

February 17, 2002

Title:  An act relating to inspection of facilities used for temporary storage and processing of agricultural commodities.

Brief Description:  Authorizing inspection of facilities used for temporary storage and processing of agricultural commodities.

Sponsors:  By Representatives Chandler, Clements, Lisk, Skinner, Schoesler, Holmquist and Mulliken.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Local Government & Housing:  2/4/02, 2/7/02 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/17/02, 94-0.

Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill

$Declares that a governing body of a city or county may  inspect facilities that are used for temporary storage and processing of agricultural commodities.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT & HOUSING

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Dunshee, Chair; Edwards, Vice Chair; Mulliken, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Crouse, DeBolt, Dunn, Hatfield, Kirby, Mielke and Sullivan.

Staff:  Amy Wood (786‑7127).

Background:

The State Building Code is comprised of the Uniform Building Code, the Uniform Mechanical Code, the Uniform Fire Code, the Uniform Plumbing Code, and rules and regulations adopted by the Building Code Council establishing standards for making buildings accessible and usable by physically disabled persons.

Codes adopted by the State Building Code Council must be enforced by municipal and county governments.  A local government may adopt a more stringent code, and, with some exceptions, exclude specified classes or types of buildings or structures according to use from compliance with the code.

Summary of Engrossed Bill:

The State Building Code is amended to expressly state that local governments may  inspect facilities that are used for temporary storage and processing of agricultural commodities.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Yakima County is charging an excessive fee for its annual inspection fee of temporary buildings that are used to store or dry hops, store feed, and other agricultural commodities.  These buildings are used two to four months of the year and most are just metal roofed pole buildings.  These inspections take less than two hours and the owners can be charged up to $1,000 for this inspection.  Most counties do not inspect these temporary building on an annual basis, but of those that do the inspection is either free or the fee is more reasonable.  We believe that this inspection is redundant since the state Department of Labor and Industries is required to inspect these buildings for worker safety on an annual basis.  The language in the bill was worked out with the Yakima County Commissioners.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Representative Chandler, prime sponsor; and Chris Cheney, Hop Growers of Washington, Yakima Dairy Federation.