CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

HOUSE BILL 2454

Chapter 241, Laws of 2024

68TH LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE TAX—AGRICULTURAL CROP PROTECTION PRODUCTS—EXEMPTION EXTENSION

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024

HOUSE BILL 2454

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

ByRepresentatives Ybarra and Chapman

AN ACT Relating to extending an existing hazardous substance tax exemption for certain agricultural crop protection products that are temporarily warehoused but not otherwise used, manufactured, packaged, or sold in the state of Washington; amending RCW 82.21.040; and amending 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 1901 (uncodified).

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

Sec. 1. RCW 82.21.040 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 1902 are each amended to read as follows:

The following are exempt from the tax imposed in this chapter:

(1) Any successive possession of a previously taxed hazardous substance. If tax due under this chapter has not been paid with respect to a hazardous substance, the department may collect the tax from any person who has had possession of the hazardous substance. If the tax is paid by any person other than the first person having taxable possession of a hazardous substance, the amount of tax paid shall constitute a debt owed by the first person having taxable possession to the person who paid the tax.

(2) Any possession of a hazardous substance by a natural person under circumstances where the substance is used, or is to be used, for a personal or domestic purpose (and not for any business purpose) by that person or a relative of, or person residing in the same dwelling as, that person.

(3) Any possession of a hazardous substance amount which is determined as minimal by the department of ecology and which is possessed by a retailer for the purpose of making sales to ultimate consumers. This exemption does not apply to pesticide or petroleum products.

(4) Any possession of alumina or natural gas.

(5)(a) ((Any))Until January 1, 2028, any possession of a hazardous substance as defined in RCW 82.21.020(1)(c) that is solely for use by a farmer or certified applicator as an agricultural crop protection product and warehoused in this state or transported to or from this state, provided that the person possessing the substance does not otherwise use, manufacture, package for sale, or sell the substance in this state.

(b) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(i) "Agricultural crop protection product" means a chemical regulated under the federal insecticide, fungicide, and rodenticide act, 7 U.S.C. Sec. 136 as amended as of September 1, 2015, when used to prevent, destroy, repel, mitigate, or control predators, diseases, weeds, or other pests.

(ii) "Certified applicator" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 17.21.020.

(iii) "Farmer" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.04.213.

(iv) "Manufacturing" includes mixing or combining agricultural crop protection products with other chemicals or other agricultural crop protection products.

(v) "Package for sale" includes transferring agricultural crop protection products from one container to another, including the transfer of fumigants and other liquid or gaseous chemicals from one tank to another.

(vi) "Use" has the same meaning as in RCW 82.12.010.

(6) Persons or activities which the state is prohibited from taxing under the United States Constitution.

Sec. 2. 2015 3rd sp.s. c 6 s 1901 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature categorizes the tax preference in section 1902 ((of this act)), chapter 6, Laws of 2015 3rd sp.s. and section 1, chapter . . ., Laws of 2024 (section 1 of this act) as one intended to improve industry competitiveness, as indicated in RCW 82.32.808(2)(b).

(2) The legislature's specific public policy objective is to clarify an existing exemption from the hazardous substance tax for agricultural crop protection products to incentivize storing products in Washington state as they are engaged in interstate commerce. The legislature finds that the agricultural industry is a vital component of Washington's economy, providing thousands of jobs throughout the state. The legislature further finds that Washington state is the ideal location for distribution centers for agricultural crop protection products because Washington is an efficient transportation hub for Pacific Northwest farmers, and encourages crop protection products to be managed in the most protective facilities, and transported using the most sound environmental means. However, products being warehoused in the state are diminishing because agricultural crop protection products are being redirected to out-of-state distribution centers as a direct result of Washington's tax burden. Relocation of this economic activity is detrimental to Washington's economy through the direct loss of jobs and hazardous substance tax revenue, thereby negatively impacting the supply chain for Washington farmers, thereby causing increased transportation usage and risk of spillage, thereby failing to encourage the most environmentally protective measures. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to encourage the regional competitiveness of agricultural distribution by clarifying an exemption from the hazardous substance tax for agricultural crop protection products that are manufactured out-of-state, warehoused or transported into the state, but ultimately shipped and sold out of Washington state.

(3) If a review finds an average increase in revenue of the hazardous substance tax, then the legislature intends to extend the expiration date of the tax preference.

(4) In order to obtain the data necessary to perform the review in subsection (3) of this section, the joint legislative audit and review committee may refer to data available from the department of revenue.

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