OLYMPIA — Thursday, a bill sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, coincidentally on Beef Day at the Capitol.
“It was almost like somebody planned that,” said Warnick. “The Governor mentioned that when he signed the bill; he said ‘And it’s Beef Day today.’”
The purpose of Senate Bill 5439 is to support livestock identification efforts. The legislation will remove fees and make other sustainability improvements to the program by removing the $20 call-out fee for inspections performed by veterinarians or field livestock inspectors and moving the required annual report date from September to November.
It passed both the state House and Senate unanimously this session. Its effective date July 23 of this year.
“This update to livestock identification will protect valuable assets for ranchers by providing needed funding for modernization. In addition, we can continue to build on the valuable work of disease traceability,” Warnick said in a release by her office.
