HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 13
INTRODUCED BY M. WOLERY, SOMERVILLE, E. CLARK, DEVLIN, WITT
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA URGING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO INCREASE RESOURCES FOR AND SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON PESTICIDES TO HARMONIZE PESTICIDE REGULATIONS BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES, TO COMMIT MORE RESOURCES FOR AND SUPPORT EFFORTS TOWARD ESTABLISHING TOLERANCES FOR PESTICIDES REGISTERED FOR USE IN CANADA BUT NOT IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO ACCEPT REGISTRATION DATA CURRENTLY ACCEPTED BY CANADIAN OFFICIALS IN SUPPORT OF CANADIAN PESTICIDE REGISTRATIONS.
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature that Montana become the trusted provider of the highest-quality food in the world with prosperous family farms, thriving rural communities, and world-class stewardship of resources, and it is further the intent of the Legislature to significantly increase net farm income, improve the quality of rural life, and increase Montana's rural population; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature seeks to achieve the goals by making Montana agricultural products synonymous with high quality, by increasing value-added agricultural processing, by diversifying and increasing the value of agricultural production, by increasing farm and nonfarm cooperation that supports thriving rural communities and enhances our natural resources, and by creating a political, regulatory, economic, trade, financial, and natural resource environment in which Montana producers can compete in the global marketplace; and
WHEREAS, Montana farmers are forced to compete with farmers from other countries, especially Canada, who are able to use pesticide products that are not registered for use in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Canadian pesticides are often available at substantially reduced prices in formulations that are almost identical to those available to Montana producers but are not registered for use in the United States, and as a result, Montana farmers are unable to realize similar savings and are at a competitive disadvantage; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency needs to put more resources into the harmonization of the registration of crop protection chemicals with Canada; and
WHEREAS, use of the Canadian registration data by the Environmental Protection Agency could accelerate its registration process for appropriate crop protection chemicals.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That the Legislature urges the Environmental Protection Agency and the Congress of the United States to:
(1) increase resources for and support the efforts of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Technical Working Group on Pesticides to harmonize pesticide regulations between Canada and the United States;
(2) commit more resources for and support efforts toward establishing tolerances for pesticides registered for use in Canada but not in the United States; and
(3) accept registration data currently accepted by Canadian officials in support of Canadian pesticide registrations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be sent by the Secretary of State to the President of the United States, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the presiding officers of the Agriculture Committees of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, and the Montana Congressional Delegation.
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Latest Version of HJ 13 (HJ0013.ENR)
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