This bill creates a new law (a new chapter in Title 15 RCW, sections 1–4) establishing the Green Fertilizer Incentive Program administered by the Washington State Department of Agriculture to promote in-state production and agricultural use of low‑carbon nitrogen fertilizer. It defines "green fertilizer" as nitrogen‑based fertilizer produced by processes that achieve at least an 80 percent reduction in life‑cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional natural gas–based production, as determined by the department. The law authorizes program components such as price‑based reimbursement grants or point‑of‑sale rebates to farmers, performance or production‑based payments to in‑state manufacturers or distributors, equipment and training grants, and other mechanisms the department determines necessary. The bill sets procedural and administrative requirements: program design must be consistent with the department’s October 2024 report, administration must be in consultation with the Departments of Commerce (consultation limited to 40 hours of staff time per year) and Ecology, and the department must submit a preliminary report to the governor and appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 2027 summarizing proposed design, cost modeling, and readiness. The department must establish criteria and implement the program by July 1, 2028; the program takes effect upon delivery of the December 1, 2027 report and subsequent legislative appropriation. Implementation costs and activities are subject to appropriation, with the climate commitment account (RCW 70A.65.260) cited as a potential funding source, and the program must consider referenced environmental justice and equity provisions. The act affects the Department of Agriculture (program lead), the Departments of Commerce and Ecology (consultation), Washington farmers, green fertilizer producers and distributors, tribal governments and tribal agricultural cooperatives. Important specifics are missing from the extracted text: the exact new chapter number in Title 15 is not provided, the contents of the October 2024 report are not included, no funding amounts or appropriation language are specified, and detailed eligibility, application, verification, and payment calculation criteria are left to be established by the department.

If enacted, the Agriculture Department would set up and run a program to encourage use and in-state production of nitrogen fertilizers that cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 percent, offering tools like point-of-sale rebates for farmers, production or performance payments to local manufacturers or distributors, and grants for equipment and training. Farmers, tribal agricultural groups, and green fertilizer producers/distributors are the main near-term beneficiaries because they could see lower effective fertilizer costs and reduced risk for investing in new production or application methods, while the Department of Agriculture gains new administrative duties and must produce a preliminary program design and cost model by December 1, 2027 and be ready to implement by July 1, 2028. The program’s actual size and timing depend on the Legislature providing money, likely from the climate commitment account, so the state won’t incur costs or deliver benefits until funds are appropriated; no dollar amounts or precise eligibility, payment rates, or verification rules are set in the bill, so how much support farmers and manufacturers receive and how quickly in-state production grows remain uncertain. Consulting with the Department of Commerce is limited to 40 staff hours per year, which could limit interagency help in program rollout.