The House of Republicans has agreed on a stopgap funding bill that will see a one-year extension to the 2018 Farm Bill.
In October, Senator John Boozman warned that the renewal of the 2018 Farm Bill may not be achieved by the end-of-year deadline and proposed an extension of one year, as the initial September deadline for renewal of the Bill had already been missed.
The Farm Bill, which brought a significant change for the US hemp industry by descheduling commercial hemp production and eliminating hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, would provide regulation for cannabinoids including Delta-8.
The success of the U.S hemp industry is depending largely on the bill’s renewal.
Now, with a government shutdown looming, leaders from the House and Senate Agriculture Committee have agreed on a two-step, stopgap bill that would extend funding for a number of government programmes.
.@SpeakerJohnson’s proposed CR includes a fiscally responsible extension of the #FarmBill that provides certainty to America’s farmers and producers and our food supply. Our work continues on a five year extension of the Farm Bill.
— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) November 11, 2023
This includes a one-year extension on the 2018 Farm Bill that will remain in place until 30 September, 2024.
Senators Stabenow, Boozman, Thompson, Scott provided a statement on Farm Bill Extension, commenting: “As negotiations on funding the government progress, we were able to come together to avoid a lapse in funding for critical agricultural programmes and provide certainty to producers.
“This extension is in no way a substitute for passing a five-year Farm Bill and we remain committed to working together to get it done next year.”
Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described the shutdown proposal as extreme, stating: “This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns—full stop. With just days left before an Extreme Republican Shutdown—and after shutting down Congress for three weeks after they ousted their own leader—House Republicans are wasting precious time with an unserious proposal that has been panned by members of both parties.”
