S-1238.1
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5117
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources (originally sponsored by Senators Muzzall, Braun, Chapman, Christian, Dozier, King, Schoesler, Short, Wagoner, Warnick, and J. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 02/21/25.
AN ACT Relating to protecting agriculture; and adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes the significant contributions of the state's second largest economic driver and the people who are its heartbeat: Agriculture. The legislature also recognizes the tremendous pressure the agricultural community is under from many sources outside of its control. As such, the legislature seeks to support the people of our agricultural community by alleviating at least one of those burdens by acknowledging that policy decisions can have an impact on their daily lives. The legislature aspires to foster a variety of agricultural enterprises of diverse sizes, interests, and means of operation, and recognizes the most meaningful way of doing so is through an analysis of how ongoing policy decisions are or will affect the ability of Washingtonians to continue to produce food for themselves and the world.
(2) The legislature declares that it is the continuing policy of the state of Washington, in cooperation with federal, tribal, and local governments and other concerned public and private organizations, to use such means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to: (a) Promote a stable food supply by maintaining a healthy agricultural economy in Washington state; and (b) ensure that the regulatory environment does not adversely affect the ability of Washington's farmers to continue to grow and sell their products to feed citizens of Washington state and the world.