H-3040.1
HOUSE BILL 2619
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Dent, Schmick, Barnard, and Lekanoff
Read first time 01/22/26. Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources.
AN ACT Relating to reducing regulatory stress in agriculture; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the agricultural industry is an integral part of Washington's economy and that the behavioral health of agricultural producers and workers and their family members is a statewide concern. Further, the legislature finds that the state has made progress since the 2018 creation of the task force on behavioral health and suicide prevention in the agricultural industry in identifying potential stressors on agricultural producers and workers in order to recommend ways to alleviate stress in the agricultural community. This work continued through the mental health and suicide prevention for agricultural producers and workers work group, which submitted a 2025 report to the legislature, identifying regulatory challenges unique to farming operations as one of many stressors and recommending further study into ways to reduce these burdens. The legislature, therefore, intends to create a joint legislative task force on reducing regulatory stress for agricultural producers to evaluate and recommend ways to streamline, eliminate, or modify existing regulations that apply to various aspects of agricultural production.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1)(a) A joint legislative task force on reducing regulatory stress for agricultural producers is established, with members as provided in this subsection: