Committee moves quickly to consider bill capping commercial shellfish fees after industry pushback
After Department of Health fee increases, the Senate Ag Committee heard SB 6,318 to set maximum licensing and biotoxin fees (retroactive to Feb. 1, 2026) and exempt the shellfish program from the 'fully fee supported' requirement; growers said caps are necessary to keep small farms afloat, while some warned steep fee increases could push hobby producers from the market.
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The committee considered Senate Bill 6,318, a response to recent Department of Health fee increases for the shellfish regulatory program. Staff reported DOH adopted fees this year with widely varying increases and that the bill would cap licensing and biotoxin fees at inflation-adjusted maximums, set an export certificate fee cap at $75, exempt the program from the statutory requirement that licensing programs be fully fee supported, and apply retroactively to Feb. 1, 2026 with an emergency clause.
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