(1) To provide for permanent funding of the Washington hardwoods commission, agricultural commodity assessments shall be levied by the commission on processors of hardwoods.

An assessment is hereby levied on hardwood processors operating within the state of Washington. The assessment shall be based on the hardwood processor's production per calendar quarter. The assessment shall be four cents per ton produced effective July 1, 2018.

Beginning July 1, 2019, and every July 1st thereafter, the assessment must be adjusted to reflect the percentage change in the implicit price deflator for personal consumption expenditures for the United States as published for the most recent twelve-month period by the bureau of economic analysis of the federal Department of Commerce by September 25th of the year before the assessments are payable.

(2) For purposes of determining the assessment, the following definitions apply:

(a) One ton of logs, scaled by weight, input for a processor equals one ton of production; or

(b) One thousand board feet, Scribner scale, input for a processor equals 7.25 tons of production.

(3) Processors who produce less than one thousand tons of hardwood products or ship less than one thousand tons of logs out of the state of Washington in a calendar quarter will not be assessed. However, they still must submit a quarterly report.

(4) Assessments shall be paid to the commission according to the levy schedule in subsection (1) of this section.