The bill establishes a new grant program aimed at promoting local workforce development, reducing transportation pollution, and enhancing food sovereignty and climate resilience for farmers in Washington State. The program will be administered by the department and is designed to support farms that grow handpicked specialty crops sold at local markets or donated to local schools and food banks. To qualify for the grant, farms must hire only domestic agricultural workers and be owned by state residents. Eligible farms can receive grant funding equivalent to eight weeks of paid overtime during peak harvest, with a maximum of $40,000.

Additionally, the bill amends RCW 50.75.020 to include the administration of this new grant program as one of the duties of the office of agricultural and seasonal workforce services. The office will continue to handle foreign labor certification applications, process complaints, conduct field checks, and provide training and outreach to employers using agricultural workforce services. The inclusion of the grant program in the office's responsibilities aims to streamline efforts to support local agriculture and workforce initiatives.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 50.75.020