HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6777

As Reported by House Committee On:

Agriculture & Ecology

Title:  An act relating to selling apples for fresh consumption.

Brief Description:  Selling apples for fresh consumption.

Sponsors:  Senators Parlette and Rasmussen.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Agriculture & Ecology:  2/28/02 [DP].

Brief Summary of Bill

$Prohibits the sale of certain containers of apples to retailers or wholesalers for resale to the public for fresh consumption.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE & ECOLOGY

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Linville, Chair; Hunt, Vice Chair; Schoesler, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Cooper, Delvin, Dunshee, Grant, Holmquist, Kirby, Quall, Roach and Sump.

Staff:  Kenneth Hirst (786‑7105).

Background:

State law requires the director of Agriculture to establish standards and grades for apples, apricots, Italian prunes, peaches, sweet cherries, pears, potatoes and asparagus and allows the director to establish them for other fruits and vegetables.  It is unlawful to sell any fruits or vegetables as meeting the standards set by the director unless they do meet the standards.  A person violating the laws for standards and grades of fruits and vegetables may be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation or the suspension of any compliance agreement entered under those laws by the person, or both the civil penalty and the suspension.

To be classified as having been stored in controlled atmosphere storage, fruits or vegetables must be stored under conditions that satisfy standards set by the Director of the Department of Agriculture for the oxygen content of the sealed atmosphere, temperature, and duration of exposure to such atmosphere and temperature.  For apples, minimums for these standards are set by statute. 

Summary of Bill:

After October 1 of each calendar year, it is unlawful for a person to sell containers of apples that contain apples harvested in a prior calendar year.  This prohibition applies to sales of such containers to a retailer or wholesaler for the purpose of resale to the public for fresh consumption.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  The bill has the support of the industry.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Parlette, prime sponsor; and Jim Halstrom, Washington Horticultural Association.