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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6500
AN ACT CONCERNING SUPPLEMENTAL REVISIONS TO THE
STATE'S HEMP PROGRAM STATUTE.
SUMMARY
This bill makes changes to the state’s hemp program statute to
comply with the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final
rules for hemp production, which became effective March 22, 2021.
Compliance is necessary for the state to receive federal approval of its
state hemp production plan.
Under state and federal law, “hemp” is the plant Cannabis sativa L
and any part of it, including seeds and derivatives, extracts,
cannabinoids, isomers, acids, and salts of isomers, whether growing or
not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration of not
more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.
The changes under the bill include:
1. allowing remediation of noncompliant crops done in
accordance with federal law as an alternative to disposing of
them as under current state law;
2. specifying that, in accordance with federal law and current
practice, for those convicted of a state or federal controlled
substance felony, the prohibition against holding a producer
license lasts for 10 years from the conviction date;
3. requiring hemp producer license applicants to submit their
employer identification number (EIN), or Social Security
number if an EIN is not available, to the state agriculture
department; and
4. eliminating a requirement that producer license applicants, who 2021HB-06500-R000207-BA.DOCX
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must submit to fingerprint-based criminal history records
checks, provide the results through December 31, 2021, to the
agriculture commissioner (in practice, the Department of
Emergency Service and Public Protection provides results to the
agriculture department).
By law, anyone who produces hemp without a license or after a
license was suspended or revoked commits an infraction. The bill
makes this infraction payable by mail through the Central Infractions
Bureau.
The bill makes other minor, technical, and conforming changes,
including adding several terms included under the USDA final rule.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
COMMITTEE ACTION
Environment Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 33 Nay 0 (03/12/2021)