Bill > SB5165

This bill amends existing Washington state law to provide additional compensation protections for farmers in frontier one counties experiencing deer and elk damage to commercial crops. Specifically, the bill requires that at least 20% of available funds for wildlife damage claims must be awarded to claims arising from frontier one counties (which are defined in RCW 43.160.020 as sparsely populated rural areas). If claims from these counties do not use the full 20%, the remaining funds can be distributed to any eligible claimant. A claimant is considered to be in a frontier one county if any portion of their farm property where damage occurred is located in such a county. The bill maintains existing provisions that require claimants to meet certain criteria, such as being an "eligible farmer" as defined in state law, suffering a minimum economic loss of at least $500, and following specific application and damage assessment rules established by the state wildlife commission. The compensation is subject to available funding and is not guaranteed, with claims prioritized based on the percentage of crop loss compared to previous year's gross sales or harvest value.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5165&Year=2025&Initiative=false