The bill addresses the issue of methane emissions from livestock, particularly focusing on dairies and feed lots in Washington State. It recognizes methane as a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change, which has led to severe environmental impacts in the region. The legislature aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding methane emissions from these agricultural operations, as they are currently not required to report their emissions levels.

To achieve this, the bill introduces a new requirement for owners or operators of dairy farms and feed lots to submit annual reports detailing the total metric tons of methane emitted in the previous calendar year. This reporting obligation will commence on January 1st of the year following the adoption of implementing rules by the department. The bill also allows for an estimation method for the first report and mandates the department to establish rules for the reporting process, including a reasonable timeline for compliance. Definitions for "dairy farm" and "feed lot" are also provided to clarify the scope of the legislation.