BILL REQ. #:  S-4452.1 

Read first time 01/19/2006.   Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation.

     AN ACT Relating to geoduck harvesting; amending RCW 77.65.410; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 77.65.410 and 1993 c 340 s 24 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Licensed geoduck harvesters bear the responsibility for providing the labor and equipment to plant geoduck seed provided by a state hatchery onto state commercial beds.
     (2) Every diver engaged in the commercial harvest of geoduck clams shall obtain a nontransferable geoduck diver license.
     (3) After July 1, 2006, the director may not issue new geoduck diver licenses. A person may renew an existing license only if the person held a geoduck diver license in 2004, and:
     (a) Held a geoduck diver license for a minimum of five of the ten years from 1994 through 2003; or
     (b) Acquired the license by transfer from another person who held it during the previous year, and the person did not subsequently transfer the license to a third party.
     (4) The director must revoke a geoduck diver license issued after January 1, 2006, that does not meet the criteria of subsections (1) through (3) of this section.
     (5) Geoduck diver licenses are not transferable. The license holder must perform the actual harvesting.
     (6) The director must revoke geoduck diver licenses that are not renewed by December 31st of each year.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.