Rep. Tom Dent’s bill passes House, delivering long-overdue fuel exemptions for agriculture producers
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Rep. Tom Dent’s bill passes House, delivering long-overdue fuel exemptions for agriculture producers
The Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill today that takes an essential step toward giving the agricultural community the fuel exemption it was promised under the Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
House Bill 1912, sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, creates a clearer and more reliable way for farmers and ranchers to access exempt fuel without unnecessary costs or confusion.
The CCA was supposed to exempt fuel used for agricultural purposes, but many farmers have struggled to actually receive that benefit.
Dent, who co-chaired the agricultural subcommittee on Governor Ferguson’s transition team, said the issue quickly became clear: the exemption was not working as intended, and the extra costs from the CCA were putting more strain on agriculture producers.
“This could be one of the most challenging times for agriculture we’ve ever seen,” said Dent. “Our farmers and ranchers feed us—it’s that simple. We need to support them, and we need to fix this.”
This bill makes several key changes to improve access to the exemption. It encourages fuel retailers to sell exempt fuel at the point of sale, allowing farmers to buy it without the surcharge. It also requires the Department of Ecology to map exempt fuel locations across the state using voluntary information from fuel sellers, ensuring farmers know where to purchase qualifying fuel.
Additionally, the bill strengthens purchase options by allowing retailers to connect to card systems that facilitate the sale of exempt fuel, providing financial incentives to help make the transition. The remittance program, which allows farmers to apply for refunds on fuel purchases, will remain in place through the next biennium to serve as a backstop while these new measures are implemented.
“This bill will help every agriculture producer in the state. There’s something in it for everybody,” Dent added. “Is this perfect? No. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction. We started working on this in November, and I’m honored to have been part of it. I’m hopeful we can keep this moving through the process because our farmers and ranchers deserve it.”
This bill aims to streamline the agricultural fuel exemption process, ensure exempt fuel is available at a price different from non-exempt fuel, and ultimately benefit Washingtonians by keeping food affordable by lowering the cost of food production.
House Bill 1912 now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
