(1) By January 1, 2026, each producer must appoint a producer responsibility organization or producer responsibility organizations to address its covered materials.

(2) By March 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, a producer responsibility organization must register with the department on behalf of its producers. A registration submission by a producer responsibility organization must include the following:

(a) Contact information for a person responsible for implementing an approved plan;

(b) A list of all member producers that have entered into written agreements to operate under an approved plan by the producer responsibility organization, copies of the written agreements for each member producer and, except in the first year of registration, a list of all brands of each producer's covered materials introduced;

(c) A plan for recruiting additional member producers and executing written agreements confirming producers will operate under an approved plan administered by the producer responsibility organization;

(d) A list of current board members and the executive director if different than the person responsible for implementing approved plans; and

(e) Documentation demonstrating adequate financial responsibility and financial controls to ensure proper management of funds and payment of the annual registration fee to the department.

(3) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), and (4) of this section, for purposes of the first plan implementation period, the department may not allow registration of more than one producer responsibility organization, other than an individual producer registered as a producer responsibility organization.

(4) By September 1, 2026, a producer responsibility organization must submit a one-time payment to the department, and each May 1st thereafter, a producer responsibility organization must submit an annual registration fee to fund all costs of the department to implement, administer, and enforce this chapter, including the costs of the department of labor and industries to implement and enforce RCW 49.46.380.

(5) The following persons are ineligible to serve on the board of the producer responsibility organization or to be hired as an officer or employee of the producer responsibility organization:

(a) Any state or local elected official;

(b) Any former employee of the department's solid waste program or that worked on solid waste policies for the department, if such an employee has served in that role within the most recent two calendar years; and

(c) Any former state or local elected official that has served in such a role within the most recent two calendar years.