PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 16-06 WAC, Public records, the department is proposing to amend its public disclosure procedural rule to include the 2006 legislative exemptions regarding animal identification and animal diseases.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 42.56.308 and 43.23.025, and chapter 34.05 RCW.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The legislature passed amendments to the public disclosure law in 2006, finding that certain information submitted for participation in the state or national animal identification program should not be subject to public disclosure and that exempting the information from state public disclosure requirements would foster an environment that is more conducive to voluntary participation in the national animal identification system. In addition, the results of animal disease testing that is done at the request of the animal owner was exempted from public disclosure requirements. The department is proposing to accommodate these changes in its procedural rules.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: The Washington state department of agriculture staff will develop the rule proposal and will communicate with stakeholders and other interested parties for their review and comment. Interested parties can also participate in the public hearing/public comment process, the dates of which will be announced when the department files the rule proposal with the code reviser.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Dannie McQueen, WSDA Administrative Regulations Program Manager, P.O. Box 42560, 1111 Washington Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone (360) 902-1809, e-mail dmcqueen@agr.wa.gov.
August 2, 2006
Robert W. Gore
Deputy Director