Local farming grant program

AN ACT Relating to creating a grant program to promote local 1
workforce development, reduce transportation pollution, and 2
strengthen food sovereignty and climate and disaster resiliency; 3
amending RCW 50.75.020; and adding a new section to chapter 50.75 4
RCW. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:6
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 50.75 7
RCW to read as follows: 8
(1) A grant program is created to be administered by the 9
department for farmers to: 10
(a) Promote hiring of local workers; 11
(b) Reduce transportation pollution; and 12
(c) Strengthen food sovereignty and climate and disaster 13
resiliency. 14
(2) To qualify for a grant under this section, a farm must:15
(a) Grow handpicked specialty crops that are: 16
(i) Sold to consumers at local markets; or 17
(ii) Sold or donated to local schools or food banks;18
(b) Hire only domestic agricultural workers; and19
(c) Be owned and operated by a state resident.20
S-1288.2
SENATE BILL 5722
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Saldaña, Chapman, Hasegawa, Lovelett, Trudeau, and Valdez
Read first time 02/11/25. Referred to Committee on Labor & Commerce.
p. 1 SB 5722
(3) Under the grant program, each farm submitting proof of 1
eligibility for the grant program to the department may be offered 2
grant funding in an amount up to the equivalent of eight weeks of 3
their paid overtime hours during peak harvest for their specialty 4
crop, up to $40,000. 5
(4) For the purposes of this section, "local" means within 250 6
miles of the farm where the specialty crop is grown.7
Sec. 2. RCW 50.75.020 and 2019 c 441 s 3 are each amended to 8
read as follows: 9
(1) The office of agricultural and seasonal workforce services is 10
established within the department. 11
(2) The duties of the office are: 12
(a) Processing and adjudicating foreign labor certification 13
applications from employers; 14
(b) Processing complaints consistent with 20 C.F.R. Part 658, 15
Subpart E; 16
(c) Conducting field checks and field visits, as required by the 17
United States department of labor. When conducting a field check, the 18
office shall coordinate, to the extent possible, with the department 19
of labor and industries, department of health, and department of 20
agriculture in order to limit disruption to agricultural employers 21
and efficiently use government resources; 22
(d) Administering the discontinuation and reinstatement of 23
services process pursuant to 20 C.F.R. Part 658, Subpart F; ((and))24
(e) Conducting training and outreach activities to employers who 25
are using agricultural and seasonal workforce services and programs 26
within the employment security department; and27
(f) Administering the grant program established under section 1 28
of this act. 29
--- END ---
p. 2 SB 5722