Senate Committee Approves Agriculture Appropriations Bill with Hemp Provisions
The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the FY2020 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which includes provisions on hemp added in by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The provisions added into the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, which now must be approved by the full Senate, include:
- $16.5 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement the hemp provisions of the 2018 Farm Bill
- $2.5 million for the research of hemp through Agriculture Research Service (ARS) sites – like those in Lexington and Bowling Green, Kentucky
- A measure encouraging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue formal enforcement discretion guidance for CBD products. This guidance would remain in place until FDA finalizes a permanent legal pathway for the products moving forward
- A provision directing the Farm Credit Administration to offer services to hemp producers and businesses.
- A prohibition on the federal government from banning the transfer, production or sale of hemp in accordance with the 2014 Farm Bill
- Support for competitive USDA grants for hemp projects
The bill will now head to the Senate floor to be put up for a vote.
