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Board approves raising WDO filing fee to $3 and seeks legislation to raise statutory cap to $5
Summary
The Structural Pest Control Board voted to increase the WDO (Wood‑Destroying Organism) filing fee in regulation from $2.50 to $3 and authorized staff to pursue legislation to raise the statutory cap from $3 to $5 to give future flexibility.
The Structural Pest Control Board voted to begin the regulatory process to increase the WDO filing fee from $2.50 to $3 per activity, and also approved pursuing legislation to raise the statutory cap on that fee from $3 to $5.
Board staff presented budget projections showing the program’s reserves declining and cited the sunset review’s recommendation that the board retain a six‑month reserve. The board package referenced Government Code section 8674 as the statutory authority that caps the WDO filing fee and CCR section 1997 as the regulation that currently establishes the fee. Board members said the modest increase would help stabilize the program’s fund condition and protect the board’s ability to process license and inspection paperwork in a timely way.
"We are a totally self‑funded board. We take no funds from the general fund whatsoever," a board member said during discussion to emphasize why fee revenue is necessary. Staff reported that the board receives about 1,300,000 WDO activity reports per year; raising the fee by 50¢ per activity would produce modest but meaningful additional reserves over time.
The board moved and seconded separate items: (1) authorize the executive officer to pursue the regulatory change raising the fee to $3 and to begin the administrative rulemaking process, and (2) authorize staff to seek legislative language to increase the statutory cap from $3 to $5 so future regulation changes remain possible. Both motions were approved by roll call. Staff said the regulatory effective date target for the fee increase, if the rulemaking proceeds without adverse comment, is July 1, 2019; the legislative effort to raise the cap will be pursued separately through the Legislature.
Public commenters and industry representatives said they generally supported the small increase and noted it would be borne per activity and was small relative to the transaction amounts WDO reports typically support (inspections and real‑estate transactions). Board members asked staff to coordinate statutory language, to return with draft language as appropriate, and to notice the regulation according to the Office of Administrative Law process.
