wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 1019 > Substitute Bill

HB 1019 - Pesticide advisory board

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Section 1

The legislature finds that agency decisions related to the regulation of pesticides benefit from robust community and stakeholder engagement. The legislature intends to create a formal and permanent advisory board to advise the department of agriculture on any or all problems relating to the use and application of pesticides in the state, with the exception of matters covered by the pesticide application safety committee.

Section 2

  1. The pesticide advisory board is established to advise the director on any or all problems relating to the use and application of pesticides in the state except for matters covered by the pesticide application safety committee created in RCW 70.104.110, with members as provided in this subsection.

    1. Voting members:

      1. One pesticide applicator licensed to operate agricultural aerial apparatus;

      2. One licensed pest control consultant, or one licensed pesticide dealer or pesticide dealer manager;

      3. One member representing the agricultural chemical industry;

      4. One agricultural producer;

    2. The department's pesticide management division assistant director or the assistant director's designee;

    1. One toxicologist or pesticide investigations manager from the department of health;

    2. The department of labor and industries' division of occupational safety and health assistant director or the assistant director's designee;

    3. One member representing the environmental community;

     ix. One representative from a federally recognized Indian tribe or an interested tribe that does not regulate pesticides;
    1. One farmworker advocate; and
    1. One at-large member selected by the director through a nomination process established by the director.

    1. Nonvoting members:

      1. The director of the following agencies or the director's designees:

(A) The department of labor and industries;

(B) The department of fish and wildlife;

(C) The department of ecology; and

(D) The liquor and cannabis board;

    ii. The commissioner of public lands or the commissioner's designee;

    iii. The commissioner of the employment security department or the commissioner's designee;

    iv. The environmental health specialist from the department of health;

v. One entomologist in public service;

vi. One toxicologist in public service;

vii. One member from the national pesticide information center;

viii. One pesticide coordinator from Washington State University;

    ix. One agricultural health network advisor from the Pacific Northwest agricultural safety and health center;

x. The department's pollinator health coordinator, apiarist, or both;

xi. One commercial beekeeper;

xii. One member representing the United States environmental protection agency region 10;

xiii. One member representing the department of transportation with expertise in vegetation management;

xiv. One member representing the noxious weed control board; and

xv. One member representing an organization made up of agricultural producers, timber producers, and others whose mission includes supporting the science behind the responsible use of pesticides in both agriculture and forestry.

  1. The director shall appoint each member of the pesticide advisory board for terms of four years. Members may be appointed for successive four-year terms at the discretion of the director. The terms must be staggered so that approximately one-fourth of the terms expire on June 30th of each calendar year. In making appointments, the director shall seek nominations from affected agricultural and environmental groups. The director may remove any member of the pesticide advisory board prior to the expiration of his or her term of appointment for cause.

  2. The director shall attempt to fill any vacancy on the pesticide advisory board within 30 days for the remainder of its term.

  3. The director, in consultation with the pesticide advisory board, shall form work groups that include individuals with the appropriate expertise to inform the board on issues relating to specific pesticides or uses. Work groups created under this subsection may include individuals who are not members of the pesticide advisory board.

Section 3

The pesticide advisory board established in section 2 of this act shall elect a chair from among its membership. The pesticide advisory board shall meet from time to time at the call of the director, chair of the board, or a majority of the board.

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