SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5653
As Passed Senate, January 19, 2022
Title: An act relating to changing the name of the commission on pesticide registration to the commission on integrated pest management.
Brief Description: Changing the name of the commission on pesticide registration to the commission on integrated pest management.
Sponsors: Senators Rolfes, Van De Wege and Warnick.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks: 1/11/22, 1/11/22 [DP].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 1/19/22, 49-0.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Changes the name of the Commission on Pesticide Registration to the Commission on Integrated Pest Management.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER, NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Van De Wege, Chair; Salomon, Vice Chair; Warnick, Ranking Member; Honeyford, Rolfes, Short and Stanford.
Staff: Karen Epps (786-7424)
Background:

In 1995, the Commission on Pesticide Registration (Commission) was created to conduct studies concerning the registration of pesticides for minor crops and minor uses and the availability of pesticides for emergency uses, and establish a program for tracking the availability of pesticides for such crops and uses.  Minor crops and minor uses are for crops and uses considered to be minor in the national context of registering pesticides.  The Commission also assists agricultural organizations in providing funding, in-kind services, or materials for research, implementation, and demonstration of any aspect of integrated pest management and pesticide resistance management programs. 

 

The Commission is made up of 12 voting members appointed by the director of the Department of Agriculture.  The Commission includes eight members from various agricultural industries, including tree fruit growers, hop growers, potato growers, wheat growers, vegetable and seed growers, berry growers, wine grape growers, and the nursery and landscape industry.  The Commission also includes members from the forest protection industry, food processors, agricultural chemical industry, and professional pesticide applicators.  There are also five non-voting members on the Commission representing state agencies including the Washington State departments of Agriculture, Health, Ecology, and Labor and Industries as well as Washington State University.

 

Integrated pest management is a strategy that uses various combinations of pest control methods, biological, cultural, and chemical, in a compatible manner to achieve satisfactory control and ensure favorable economic and environmental consequences.
Summary of Bill:

The name of the Commission is changed to the Commission on Integrated Pest Management.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO:  There was Commission discussion about changing the name of the Commission but it needs to be a bill to change the name. The current name has a depressive effect on people seeking help from the Commission at times. The reason the Commission was originally called the Commission on Pesticide Registration is because the mission was quite a bit different. The role of the Commission is more about managing crops and with the loss of a couple of products that are important for specific crops that are grown in Washington, there needs to be additional support for research for alternatives. As a state with more than 300 crops in commercial production, pest management problems and solutions are often sudden and difficult to address. The Commission plays a vital role in funding research to find pest management solutions and the name of this Commission no longer fits the identified purpose of the Commission now.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Christine Rolfes, Prime Sponsor; Heather Hansen, Washington Friends of Farms & Forests; Kelly McLain, Washington State Department of Agriculture; Matthew Blua, Washington State Commission on Pesticide Registration; Alan Schrieber, Washington State Pesticide Registration.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.