Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 15.65 - Washington State Agricultural Commodity Boards.
15.65.510 - Information and inspections required—Hearings—Confidentiality and disclosures.

RCW 15.65.510
Information and inspections required—Hearings—Confidentiality and disclosures.

All parties to a marketing agreement, all persons subject to a marketing order, and all producers, dealers, and handlers of a commodity governed by the provisions of a marketing agreement or order shall severally from time to time, upon the request of the director, the director's designee, or the commodity board established under the marketing agreement or order, furnish such information and permit such inspections as the director, the director's designee, or the commodity board finds to be necessary to effectuate the declared policies of this chapter and the purposes of such agreement or order. Information and inspections may also be required by the director, the director's designee, or the commodity board to ascertain and determine the extent to which such agreement or order has been carried out or has effectuated such policies and purposes, or to determine whether or not there has been any abuse of the privilege of exemption from laws relating to trusts, monopolies and restraints of trade. Such information shall be furnished in accordance with forms and reports to be prescribed by the director, the director's designee, or the commodity board. The director, the director's designee, or a designee of the commodity board is hereby authorized to inspect crops and examine such books, papers, records, copies of tax reports, accounts, correspondence, contracts, documents, or memoranda as he or she deems relevant and which are within the control:
(1) Of any such party to such marketing agreement or, any person subject to any marketing order from whom such report was requested, or
(2) Of any person having, either directly or indirectly, actual or legal control of or over such party, producer or handler of such records, or
(3) Of any subsidiary of any such party, producer, handler or person.
To carry out the purposes of this section the director or the director's designee upon giving due notice, may hold hearings, take testimony, administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and issue subpoenas for the production of books, records, documents or other writings of any kind. RCW 15.65.090, 15.65.100 and 15.65.110, together with such other regulations consistent therewith as the director may from time to time prescribe, shall apply with respect to any such hearing. All information furnished to or acquired by the director or the director's designee pursuant to this section shall be kept confidential by all officers and employees of the director or the director's designee and only such information so furnished or acquired as the director deems relevant shall be disclosed by the director or them, and then only in a suit or administrative hearing brought at the direction or upon the request of the director or to which the director or the director's designee or any officer of the state of Washington is a party, and involving the marketing agreement or order with reference to which the information so to be disclosed was furnished or acquired.
Nothing in this section shall prohibit:
(1) The issuance of general statements based upon the reports of a number of persons subject to any marketing agreement or order, which statements do not identify the information furnished by any person; or
(2) The publication by the director or the director's designee of the name of any person violating any marketing agreement or order, together with a statement of the particular provisions and the manner of the violation of the marketing agreement or order so violated by such person.

[ 2011 c 103 § 19; 1989 c 354 § 29; 1961 c 256 § 51.]
NOTES:

Purpose—2011 c 103: See note following RCW 15.26.120.


Severability—1989 c 354: See note following RCW 15.36.012.

Structure Revised Code of Washington

Revised Code of Washington

Title 15 - Agriculture and Marketing

Chapter 15.65 - Washington State Agricultural Commodity Boards.

15.65.010 - Short title.

15.65.020 - Definitions.

15.65.028 - Regulating agricultural commodities—Existing comprehensive scheme.

15.65.033 - Regulating agricultural commodities—Laws applicable.

15.65.040 - Establishing a commodity board—Marketing order—Purposes.

15.65.043 - Board may establish foundation.

15.65.047 - Director's duties and responsibilities—Amendments to marketing orders or agreements without a referendum—Rules.

15.65.050 - Director to enforce and administer chapter—Marketing agreements, orders issued, amended, notice, grounds for amendments.

15.65.060 - Form, filing of marketing agreement, order, amendment, and other proceedings.

15.65.070 - Notice of hearing on proposal—Publication—Contents.

15.65.090 - Subpoenas—Compelling attendance of witnesses, fees—Immunity of witnesses.

15.65.100 - Director's findings and recommended decision, delivery of copies—Taking official notice of facts from other agencies.

15.65.110 - Filing objections to recommended decision—Final decision—Waiver.

15.65.120 - Contents and scope of recommended and final decision—Delivery of copies.

15.65.130 - Agreements binding only on those who assent in writing—Agreement not effective until sufficient signatories to effectuate chapter—When effective.

15.65.140 - Minimum assent requirements prerequisite to order or amendment affecting producers or producer marketing.

15.65.150 - Minimum requirements prerequisite to order or amendment assessing handlers—Assent by producers.

15.65.160 - Ascertainment of required assent percentages.

15.65.170 - Issuance or amendment of marketing order—Assent—Rules.

15.65.175 - Issuing, amending, or terminating a marketing order—Limitation on public hearings or referendums.

15.65.180 - Suspension of marketing agreement or order upon advice of commodity board—Certain prerequisites waived.

15.65.183 - Termination of marketing order or agreement—Petition—Procedure.

15.65.185 - Referendum prior to termination of a marketing order or agreement—Procedure—Exceptions.

15.65.190 - Termination of agreement or order on assent of producers—Procedure.

15.65.193 - When marketing order or agreement is terminated—Duties of affected commodity board.

15.65.200 - Lists of affected parties—Information used to establish lists—Purpose and use.

15.65.203 - Certain records exempt from public disclosure—Exceptions—Actions not prohibited by chapter.

15.65.205 - After any vote, referendum, nomination, or election—Affected parties provided results—Disputes.

15.65.210 - Powers and duties of director with respect to the administration and enforcement of agreements and orders—Administrator—Personnel.

15.65.220 - Commodity boards—Membership—Marketing agreement or order to establish and control—Director votes.

15.65.230 - Qualifications of members of commodity boards.

15.65.235 - Producer-handlers as producers for membership purposes—Exception.

15.65.240 - Terms of members of commodity boards—Elections or appointment.

15.65.243 - When director appoints majority of the board—Nominations—Advisory vote—Notice—Director selects either of two candidates receiving the most votes.

15.65.250 - Nominations for election to commodity board—When only one nominee.

15.65.260 - Election of members of commodity board—Procedure.

15.65.270 - Vacancies, quorum, compensation, travel expenses of commodity board members and employees.

15.65.280 - Powers and duties of commodity board—Reservation of power to director.

15.65.283 - Members may belong to association with same objectives—Contracts with other associations authorized.

15.65.285 - Restrictive provisions of chapter 43.19 RCW not applicable to promotional printing and literature of commodity boards.

15.65.287 - Commission's plans, programs, and projects—Director's approval required.

15.65.289 - Commission speaks for state—Director's oversight.

15.65.290 - Claims and liabilities, enforcement against organization—Personal liabilities of officials, employees, etc.

15.65.295 - Lists of all affected producers and handlers—Affected parties responsible for accuracy—Use of lists.

15.65.300 - Agreement or order to contain detailed statement of powers and purposes.

15.65.305 - Promotional hosting expenditures—Rules.

15.65.310 - Advertising, sale, trade barrier, claim, etc., provisions in agreement or order.

15.65.320 - Agreement and order provisions for research.

15.65.330 - Agreement and order provisions for uniform grades and standards—Enforcement—Rules.

15.65.340 - Agreement and order provisions prohibiting or regulating certain practices.

15.65.350 - Agreement and order to define applicable area—"Production area"—"Marketing area."

15.65.360 - Agreement and order provisions for marketing information, services, verification of grades, standards, sampling, etc.

15.65.370 - Agreement or order not to prohibit or discriminatorily burden marketing.

15.65.375 - Agreement and order provisions—Participation in proceedings concerning regulation of pesticides or agricultural chemicals.

15.65.380 - Additional agreement or order provisions.

15.65.390 - Annual assessment—Limitation generally.

15.65.400 - Rate of assessment.

15.65.410 - Time, place, method for payment and collection of assessments.

15.65.420 - Use of moneys collected—Departmental expenses.

15.65.430 - Refunds of moneys received or collected.

15.65.440 - Assessments personal debt—Additional percentage if not paid—Civil action to collect.

15.65.450 - Deposit to defray department's expenses—Circumstances requiring reimbursement.

15.65.470 - Depositaries for revolving fund—Deposits.

15.65.480 - Separate accounts for each agreement or order—Disbursements.

15.65.490 - Records of financial transactions to be kept by director—Audits.

15.65.500 - Bonds of administrator, board, employee.

15.65.510 - Information and inspections required—Hearings—Confidentiality and disclosures.

15.65.520 - Criminal acts and penalties.

15.65.530 - Civil liability—Use of moneys recovered.

15.65.540 - Jurisdiction of superior courts—Who may bring action.

15.65.550 - Duty of attorney general and prosecuting attorneys—Investigation and hearing by director.

15.65.560 - Remedies additional.

15.65.570 - Proceedings subject to administrative procedure act—Exemptions.

15.65.580 - Director may issue agreement or order similar to license or order issued by United States—Administrator, board.

15.65.590 - Cooperation, joint agreements or orders with other states and United States to achieve uniformity.

15.65.600 - Public interest to be protected—Establishment of prices prohibited.

15.65.620 - Chapter not to affect other laws—Agreements and orders under prior law may be made subject to chapter.

15.65.630 - Application of chapter to canners, freezers, pressers, dehydrators of fruit or vegetables.

15.65.640 - Chapter not to apply to green pea grower or processor.

15.65.650 - Hop commodity board—Powers.

15.65.670 - Costs of implementing RCW 15.65.287.

15.65.680 - Appointment of nonvoting advisory members.

15.65.900 - Savings—1961 c 256.