Subject of Possible Rule Making: Chapter 16-662 WAC, Weights and measures—National handbooks, sale of motor fuel, electric vehicle supply equipment, and penalties for violations. The Washington state department of agriculture (department) is considering adopting more recent versions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) handbook editions under the chapter and adding clarifying language.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The weights and measures program promotes marketplace equity by ensuring accuracy in commercial transactions through testing and inspecting commercial measuring devices, price verification, package inspection, public education, monitoring fuel quality, and investigating complaints.

The NIST handbooks are national consensus codes that establish industry standards for weighing and measuring devices, legal metrology, engine fuel quality, net contents of packaged goods, and specifications and tolerances for reference standards and field standard weights and measures. The department adopts these handbooks to ensure the amount of commodities sold in Washington state are in accordance with good commercial practice and provide accurate information to all interested parties and to maintain uniformity with other states where appropriate. The current NIST handbook editions referenced in chapter 16-662 WAC are from 2016, and more recent editions need to be adopted in rule to be reasonably consistent with the uniform rules adopted by the National Conference on Weights and Measures and that are in effect in other states.

Process for Developing New Rule: Department staff will discuss any proposed amendments with affected stakeholder groups. Affected stakeholders will also have an opportunity to submit written comments on the proposed rules during the public comment period and will be able to present oral testimony at the public hearings.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Robbie Parke, Weights and Measures Program Manager, Plant Protection Division, Washington State Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone 360-819-7529, TTY 800-833-6388 or 711, email robbie.parke@agr.wa.gov, website https://agr.wa.gov/services/rulemaking; or Greg Haubrich, Assistant Director, Plant Protection Division, Washington State Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia, WA 98504-2560, phone 360-902-2071, TTY 800-833-6388 or 711, email ghaubrich@agr.wa.gov, website https://agr.wa.gov/services/rulemaking.