Relating to acreage limitations for the production of hemp, and including effective date provisions

ACREAGE LIMITATION —— EXCEPTION.1), which in part requires the department of agriculture and land stewardship (DALS) to regulate the production of hemp.2).4). DALS may issue any number of licenses to a qualified producer so long as all licensed crop sites do not exceed a total of acres. The bill allows DALS to waive this limitation on acres reserved for production if, at the time of application, it determines that the applicant has entered into a contract for the sale of at least percent of the hemp expected to be harvested at the applicant’s crop site. In addition, the harvested hemp sold pursuant to the contract must be used for: (1) grain or fiber, or (2) seed to grow hemp for seed production, grain, or fiber. DALS may require that the applicant provide any supporting materials necessary to approve the application. BACKGROUND. The IHA must comply with the relevant sections of the federal Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Pub. L. 115-334, that allows states and tribes to assume primary regulatory authority over the production of hemp by submitting a plan for approval by the United States department of agriculture (USDA). Effective April 8, 2020, the secretary of agriculture published an advisory notice that the state plan for the production of hemp was certified by the USDA in IAB Vol. XLII, No. 2630. EFFECTIVE DATE. The bill takes effect upon enactment.