Committee hears bill to improve farmer access to Climate Commitment Act fuel exemption

The Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee heard testimony on House Bill 19-12, a measure intended to make the agricultural-fuel exemption in the Climate Commitment Act more usable for farmers and other agricultural users.

Staff told the committee the bill would require retail fuel sellers to be able to voluntarily notify the Department of Ecology about locations, contact information and fuel types where exempt agricultural fuels are available; Ecology must post a directory and user guide by Oct. 1, 2025. The bill also directs, subject to appropriation, the Department of Commerce to offer financial incentives to retail fuel sellers to remove barriers to offering exempt fuels at point-of-sale — for example by helping retailers implement a card- or membership-based payment option. It extends a temporary five-year on‑road transport exemption for fuels used to move agricultural products on public highways by two years, to 2029, and contains intent language to continue the Department of Licensing remittance program.

Why it matters: producers…