Brief Description: Concerning the fruit and vegetable district fund.

Sponsors: Representatives Armstrong, Linville, Schoesler, McDermott, Hinkle, Wood, Newhouse, Grant, Quall, Holmquist and Condotta.

Hearing Date:

Staff: Kenneth Hirst (786-7105).

Background:

State law authorizes the Director of Agriculture to establish a fee-for-service program to provide, upon request, services to growers and other interested parties for special inspections and certifications, identifications, diagnostic services, and activities needed to facilitate the movement or sale of plant products or bees and bee products. Monies collected from providing these services are deposited in the Plant Pest Account in the Agricultural Local Fund. (RCW 17.24.131.)

Other laws require the Director of Agriculture to establish standards and grades for apples, apricots, Italian prunes, peaches, sweet cherries, pears, potatoes and asparagus and allow the Director to establish them for other fruits and vegetables. (Chapter 15.17 RCW and RCW 15.17.050.) For the purposes of these laws, the state is divided into not less that two fruit and vegetable inspection districts. The fees collected for these services in an inspection district are deposited in a district account within the Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Account, which is used as a revolving fund to carry out services within the district. (RCW 15.17.240.)

In 1997, legislation authorized a transfer of $200,000 in funds from District #2 , as it was then composed, to the Plant Pest Account for activities related to apple maggot control. Funds from this transfer that are unexpended by June 30, 2003, are to be returned. (RCW 15.17.243.) The three districts that were in existence in 1997 were consolidated into two districts in 2002 in response to legislation (SSB 6254; Chapter 322, Laws of 2002) enacted that year. The 2002 legislation also required that the transferred monies be returned to the district account for the district containing Yakima County. Yakima County was in District #2 before the consolidation and remains in District #2 following it. (WAC 16-458-075.)

Summary of Bill:

The date by which monies transferred from the district fund of District #2 must be expended from the Plant Pest Account for apple maggot control activities is extended by two years to June 30, 2005.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not Requested.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on June 30, 2003.