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Committee moves quickly to consider bill capping commercial shellfish fees after industry pushback
Summary
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.
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.
Elena Becker said DOH estimates the difference between its adopted fees and the caps in SB 6,318 at roughly $4.7 million over a four-year outlook, and that the fiscal impact was assumed to come from the state general fund.
Shellfish growers and industry groups testified in strong support. Evie Fogergren of Calm Cove Oyster Company said a proposed cap increasing a small two-site harvester to a maximum of $900 (from $690) was manageable. Bill Dewey (Taylor Shellfish) and Troy Nichols (Willapa-Grays Harbor Oyster Growers) praised the committee and staff for rapid action and said fee relief is vital to preserve small farms and local economies.
Some witnesses warned that in individual cases fee increases could exceed several hundred percent and risk driving small producers out of business or creating unregulated markets. Johnny Hanson urged the committee to consider the broader fee structure and warned of potential health risks from unregulated sales if small growers were pushed out.
The committee suspended its five-day notice rule to hear the bill and closed the public hearing, logging strong pro testimony and scheduling the bill for executive session.
Next steps: SB 6,318 will be considered in executive session; committee staff and stakeholders will continue to work on fee numbers and implementation details.
