Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) introduced the Hemp Planting Predictability Act to provide a two-year extension on the hemp provision passed in the FY2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations bill that restricts the definition of legal hemp.
"Planting and growing crops requires planning well in advance," said Baird in a statement. "Congress created a regulatory environment in the 2018 Farm Bill that allowed for certain investments, and farmers were operating within this environment. The hemp provision included in the Continuing Resolution and Appropriations bills passed in November 2025 disrupted planting decisions that had already been made. Congress should not have passed such a sweeping policy change that upends a growing industry. Instead, Congress should have given farmers more time, creating a more stable environment for farmers to modify their future planting decisions. I am proud to introduce this legislation to ensure farmers have predictability and sufficient time to adjust to new laws that affect their livelihood."
Baird was joined by House Oversight and Accountability Chair James Comer (KY-01), House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Angie Craig (MN-02), Congressman Tim Moore (NC-14), and Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08).
"I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Rep. Baird’s bill to extend the implementation of new hemp restrictions by two years," said Comer in a statement. "This common-sense extension gives farmers and America’s hemp industry the time they need to adapt while Congress works to establish a clear, reasonable regulatory framework. I have championed the hemp industry since my time as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture and remain committed to bipartisan solutions in Washington that support our local farmers and provide certainty for this growing industry."
The U.S. Hemp Roundtable added its support to the legislation.
"Hemp farmers and businesses are not asking Congress to avoid regulation. They are asking Congress to put more time on the clock so lawmakers, not uncertainty, decide the future of legal hemp," the group said in a statement.
