Senator Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Monday that his bill aimed at adjusting state hemp regulations unanimously passed the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

Senate Bill 153 (SB 153) seeks to bring California’s hemp industry regulations in line with federal requirements, according to officials.

“I am very pleased to see SB 153 moving with bipartisan support,” Wilk said. “Industrial hemp is a natural fit for California’s arid climate. Farmers in the Antelope Valley will be able to save five-acre-feet of water per acre by switching to it.”

Wilk previously introduced and successfully passed a similar bill in 2018, SB 1409, which also sought to streamline California’s hemp production regulations and bring them into compliance with existing federal laws.

Late in 2018, Congress passed H.R. 2, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, which instituted new requirements for states’ plans for the licensing and regulation of industrial hemp cultivation.

“Today’s vote ensures California’s law conforms to changes in federal law,” Wilk said. “The ability to grow and compete in the industrial hemp industry is a big win for our local farmers.”

In addition to bringing California’s hemp regulation and cultivation laws into compliance with the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, SB 153 would require the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, in consultation with the governor and the attorney general, to develop and submit a state plan to the secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture on or before Jan. 31, 2020.

“Industrial hemp is used in 25,000 different products,” Wilk said. “With the increased production of hemp, it is likely California will also see an uptick in the manufacturing of these hemp-related products. This means good jobs and a host of other benefits to our region.”

The bill is available to read in its entirety here.

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