Notice of Committee Passage of Substitute Senate Bill 5276

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SSB 5276, titled AN ACT Relating to hemp production, has been passed by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks. The Office of Financial Management has identified this bill as requiring a ten-year projection of increased cost to the taxpayers or affected fee payers.

Ten-year projection:

SSB 5276 Sec. 6 requires the WSDA to establish license fees in rule for an amount that will fund the implementation and sustain the hemp program. The cash receipt impact is indeterminate at this time because that agency does not know the number of grower licenses that will be issued and fees will be determined during rulemaking.

The Department of Health will not have cash receipts.

This bill intends to authorize the growing of hemp in conformance with the agriculture improvement act of 2018 (Federal law).  Hemp is defined as the plant "Cannabis sativa L." and any part of it, including the seeds, extracts, cannabinoids, etc, with a THC concentration of not more than 0.3% dry weight. 

There are some new fees in this legislation, however, they are not collected by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board ("Board").

The following legislators voted do pass:

Senator Shelly Short
Republican
(360) 786-7612
Shelly.Short@leg.wa.gov

Senator Christine Rolfes
Democrat
(360) 786-7644
Christine.Rolfes@leg.wa.gov

Senator Kevin Van De Wege
Democrat
(360) 786-7646
Kevin.VanDeWege@leg.wa.gov

Senator Judy Warnick
Republican
(360) 786-7624
Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov

Senator Jesse Salomon
Democrat
(360) 786-7662
SALOMON_JE@leg.wa.gov


The following legislators voted to refer the bill without recommendation:

Senator Jim Honeyford
Republican
(360) 786-7684
Jim.Honeyford@leg.wa.gov

Senator John McCoy
Democrat
(360) 786-7674
John.McCoy@leg.wa.gov



Legislative Bill Information Website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/

Initiative 960 Website: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/tax/default.asp