PERMANENT RULES
Date of Adoption: March 28, 2001.
Purpose: The proposed rules implement provisions of RCW 15.04.200 governing promotional hosting expenditures by Agricultural Commodity Commission employees.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 15.66 RCW.
Other Authority: RCW 15.04.200.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 01-04-088 on February 7, 2001.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
March 28, 2001
Pat Boss
Executive Director
RULES OF THE WASHINGTON STATE POTATO COMMISSION"Hosting" may include providing meals, refreshments, lodging, transportation, gifts of nominal value, reasonable and customary entertainment, and normal incidental expenses at meetings or gatherings.
"Promotional hosting" means the hosting of individuals and groups of individuals at meetings, meals, and gatherings for the purpose of cultivating trade relations and promoting sales of Washington State potatoes and potato products.
[]
(1) Budget approval: Commission expenditures for agricultural development or trade promotion and promotional hosting shall be pursuant to specific budget items as approved by the commission at annual public hearings on the commission budget.
(2) Officials and agents authorized to make expenditures. The following officials and agents are authorized to make expenditures for agricultural development or trade promotion and promotional hosting in accordance with the provisions of these rules:
Commissioner/Commission employees -- Individual commissioners and commission staff shall make promotional hosting expenditures, or seek reimbursements for those expenditures, only in those instances where the expenditures have been approved by the commission.
(3) Payment and reimbursement. All payments and reimbursements shall be as identified and supported by vouchers to which receipts are attached. Voucher forms will be supplied by the commission, and shall require the following information:
(a) Name and position of each person hosted, provided that in case of a group of twenty-five or more persons, then only the name of the group hosting shall be required;
(b) General purpose of the hosting;
(c) Date of hosting;
(d) To whom payment was or will be made;
(e) Signature of person seeking payment or reimbursement;
(4) The chairman of the commission and/or the Executive Director or Assistant Executive Director are authorized to approve direct payment or reimbursements submitted in accordance with these rules.
(5) The following persons may be hosted when it is reasonably believed such hosting will cultivate trade relations and promote sales of Washington State potatoes and potato products, provided that such hosting shall not violate federal or state conflict of interest laws:
(a) Individuals from private business and accompanying interpreter or interpreters;
(b) Foreign government officials and accompanying interpreter or interpreters;
(c) Federal, state, and local officials, provided lodging, meals, and transportation will not be provided when such officials may obtain reimbursement for these expenses from their government employer;
(d) The general public, at meetings and gatherings open to the general public;
(e) Commissioners and employees of the commission when their attendance at meetings, meals, and gatherings at which the persons described in (a) through (d) of this subsection are being hosted will cultivate and promote sales of Washington State potatoes and potato products.
[]