AGRICULTURE PENALTIES
House Bills 6018 and 6019
Sponsor: Rep. Fran Amos
Committee: Agriculture and Resource Management
Complete to 6-21-04
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILLS 6018 AND 6019 AS INTRODUCED 6-15-04
The bills would increase the penalties for violations of the Motor Fuels Quality Act and the Weights and Measures Act.
House Bill 6018 (Motor Fuels Quality Act)
Action |
Current Penalty |
Proposed Penalty |
No notice of gas grade or additives |
Up to $1,000 per day |
$5,000 - $10,000 per day |
Failure to meet purity and quality standards |
Up to $10,000 per day |
$5,000 - $10,000 per day |
Hinder/assault MDA official |
Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or up to $5,000 |
Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or $5,000-$10,000 |
Any violation (administrative penalty) |
1st violation: $100-$500 2nd violation: $500-$1,000 3rd violation: $1,000-$2,000 |
1st violation: $200-$1,000 2nd violation: $1,000-$2,000 3rd violation: $$2,000-$4,000 |
(1) harms part of a stage 1 or 2 vapor-recovery system; (2) makes a false representation; (3) fails to disclose information relating the harm of a stage 1 or 2 vapor-recovery system; (4) falsifies records; (5) removes a seal placed on a dispenser; and (6) violates the act or rules for which not penalty is specified. |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $1,000 and $2,000 |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $5,000-$10,000 |
Commits a violation within 2 years after another violation, or impersonates the director or an inspector. |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $2,000-$10,000 |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $5,000-$10,000 |
House Bill 6019 (Weights and Measures Act)
Action |
Current Penalty |
Proposed Penalty |
Assault MDA official |
Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or up to $5,000 |
Up to 2 years imprisonment and/or $2,000-$12,000 |
Obstruct MDA official |
Up to 1 year imprisonment and/or up to $1,000 |
Up to 1 year imprisonment and/or $2,000-$12,000 |
Possesses incorrect weights of measures with the intent to deceive, unlawfully removes a seal from weights and measures, sells less than the quantity represented, etc |
$1,000-$10,000 |
$2,000-$12,000 |
Failure to disclose knowledge of a device that modifies any weight or measure in order to falsify the weight or measure |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $1,000 |
Up to 90 days imprisonment and/or $2,000-$12,000 |
Falsifying weights and measures/repeat violations |
Up to 5 years imprisonment, fine equal to amount of damage, and $1,000-$20,000 |
Up to 5 years imprisonment, fine equal to amount of damage, and $2,000-$22,000 |
MDA assessed civil fine for violations |
Amount of economic benefit + 1st violation: $50-$1,000 2nd violation: $100-$5,000 3rd violation: $500-$10,000 |
Amount of economic benefit + 1st violation: $500-$2,000 2nd violation: $1,000-$7,500 3rd violation: $2,000-$10,000 |
FISCAL IMPACT:
House Bill 6018 The bill would double the fines for a violation of the Motor Fuels Quality Act. Based on the number of violations in 2002, the increase in annual fine revenue could be as much as $34,000, or total annual revenue could be $68,000. There would be no fiscal impact on local governmental units.
House Bill 6019 - The bill could generate an additional $38,000 in annual fine income. There would be no fiscal impact on local governmental units.
Legislative Analyst: Mark Wolf
Fiscal Analyst: Kirk Lindquist
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.