Early this morning the President signed into law a Continuing Resolution (CR), a short-term “stopgap” spending bill that extends current funding levels, keeping the Federal Government open through December 11, 2020.
Included in the CR is Section 122, which provides,
Section 7605(b) of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (7 U.S.C. 5940 note; Public Law 115–334) is amended by striking “the date that is 1 year after the date on which the Secretary establishes a plan under section 297C of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946” and inserting “September 30, 2021”
As such, 7605 of the 2018 Farm Bill now reads:
“Effective on September 30, 2021, section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 5940) is repealed.”
This extension of the 2014 Farm Bill pilot program authority until September 30, 2021 provides additional time for industry stakeholders to lobby, educate, and work with USDA on developing rational rules over the domestic hemp production program. The current USDA Interim Final Rules
While we applaud the efforts of Congres in securing this extension, AgHS remains concerned about a transition in regulations during the 2021 harvest season. Working together we can continue to advocate for a full extension until January 1, 2022 so farmers will not be disrupted during the 2021 production season.
With the additional time we have been granted, we encourage you to learn more about the Crossroads Campaign to Align Federal Legislation and USDA Rulemaking with the Domestic Hemp Industry.