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1995 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 547
Requesting the United States Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations which would prohibit the licensure of burley tobacco auction warehouses under the United States Warehouse Act (7 U.S.C. 241-273).

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 4, 1995
Agreed to by the Senate, February 21, 1995

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia has traditionally regulated the maximum charges allowed for the auction sale of burley tobacco; and

WHEREAS, in the fall of 1993, the former Secretary of Agriculture, the Honorable Mike Espy, issued licenses to burley tobacco warehouses in Virginia to operate as storage warehouse facilities under the United States Warehouse Act (7 U.S.C. 241-273), thereby circumventing state law; and

WHEREAS, this action cost Virginia burley tobacco producers more than $372,000 in additional fees for the sale of the 1993 crop and, likely, similar amounts for the sale of the 1994 crop; and

WHEREAS, growers received no additional services for the additional costs incurred; and

WHEREAS, since storage incurred at the burley tobacco auction warehouses is incidental to the flooring and subsequent sale of tobacco, licensure as a storage warehouse facility under the United States Warehouse Act (7 U.S.C. 241-273) is inappropriate; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the United States Secretary of Agriculture, The Honorable Dan Glickman, be urged to act expeditiously to promulgate regulations which would prohibit the licensure of burley tobacco warehouses as storage warehouse facilities under the United States Warehouse Act (7 U.S.C. 241-273) and therefore, return the Commonwealth to its former position in the regulation of burley tobacco auction warehouses; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates transmit copies of this resolution to the United States Secretary of Agriculture and to the members of the Virginia Congressional Delegation so that they may be apprised of the sense of the General Assembly of Virginia.