Bill
SB 6166
Extends PASC sunset to July 1, 2035 and relaxes in-person/teleconference meeting rules, preserving interagency pesticide safety data work without new funding.
SB 6166 — Extending the Pesticide Application Safety Committee
Overview
- Purpose: Extend the expiration date of the Pesticide Application Safety Committee (PASC) and adjust meeting requirements to reduce costs while maintaining advisory coordination.
- Status: By resolution, returned to Senate Rules Committee for third reading.
- Introduced: January 11, 2024
- Session context: Passed through House Agriculture & Natural Resources and Senate Labor & Commerce committees in 2024; current status reflects a Senate resolution moving the measure for third-reading consideration.
What the bill does
- Extends the PASC expiration date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2035.
- Removes the provision that required the advisory work group to hold meetings primarily via teleconferencing or other non in-person methods (i.e., the one in-person meeting per fiscal year option is removed).
- Maintains existing mandate for the PASC to coordinate data collection and analysis across agencies and to explore policy options related to pesticide safety, data baselines, education, labeling, and best practices.
- No new appropriations are authorized; the bill does not create new funding in its current form.
Key provisions and changes
- Sunset extension: PASC expiration extended to July 1, 2035 (instead of 2025).
- Advisory work group meetings: The bill eliminates the teleconferencing-only requirement and the potential one in-person meeting per fiscal year as a cost-reduction measure.
- Administrative support: The administrative role remains with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Agriculture (WSDA), with cochairs designated as the DOH secretary and the WSDA director.
- Scope of work (unchanged core themes): Data coordination across WSDA, L&I, DOH, and Washington Poison Center; consideration of a shared database; policy options on safety, baseline data, bilingual education/materials, labeling accessibility, reporting of exposures, technology adoption, and PPE/best practices.
Who is affected
- State agencies: Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).
- Advisory and industry stakeholders: Farmworkers and their representatives, growers (including those using air blast sprayers, aerial applications, fumigation), community/migrant health centers, toxicologists, and academic/industry partners involved in pesticide safety education and research.
- Legislature: Requires ongoing reporting to appropriate legislative committees and continued coordination among agencies.
Effective date
- Takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which it is passed.
Fiscal notes and appropriations
- Appropriation: None indicated.
Background and context
- The PASC was established in 2019 to explore data collection and potential shared databases across agencies, improve pesticide safety, and develop education and best-practice resources for the agricultural workforce.
- The bill’s amendments formalize a longer-term sunset and streamline meeting logistics to reduce costs, while preserving the committee’s mandate to advise on safety, data, and education initiatives.
Legislative history (highlights)
- Senate introduction: Jan 11, 2024
- House action: Passed by the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee (2/21/24), then moved toward Rules and third reading.
- Senate action: On track for third reading after returning to Senate Rules Committee (3/7/24 status note).
In sum, SB 6166 extends the lifecycle of the PASC to 2035 and relaxes advisory meeting requirements to reduce costs, while preserving the committee’s mission to coordinate interagency data on pesticide safety and to develop related policies, education, and best-practice resources.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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