Bill Text: HI SB2757 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Industrial Hemp; Research Program; Building Material; Department of Agriculture
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Referred to WLA/HEA, WAM. [SB2757 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-SB2757-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2757 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to industrial hemp.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79) authorizes institutions of higher education and state departments of agriculture to conduct industrial hemp research. The legislature also finds that industrial hemp can be grown or cultivated for research purposes.
The legislature further finds that Act 56, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014, authorizes the dean of the college of tropical agriculture and human resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to establish a two-year industrial hemp remediation and biofuel research program. At the conclusion of the research program, a report submitted to the legislature reported that there is "significant potential for a successful hemp agricultural industry in Hawaii based on the preliminary findings of the 2015 Industrial Hemp Research Project". The report additionally looked at industrial hemp, in a minimal capacity, as a building material through "hempcrete". Hempcreate is known to be termite resistant, recyclable, and breathable, which makes it a viable building material that could be home-grown in the State. The findings from the research program indicated that hempcrete could be made in Hawaii without specialized knowledge of chemicals, as three crops of a subtropical fiber hemp could be grown per year, yielding about thirty tons of stalks per acre. However, the research program's goal was to learn whether there was a hemp plant that would grow in Hawaii, rather than to perform a full grow-out trial or to determine the potential of industrial hemp as a building material.
The purpose of this Act is to authorize the department of agriculture to establish a three-year industrial hemp research program to investigate the viability of industrial hemp as a building material for housing in the State.
SECTION 2. (a) The department of agriculture may establish a three-year industrial hemp research program that shall include the authority to grow or cultivate industrial hemp in accordance with the requirements established under section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-79); provided that the authority to grow or cultivate industrial hemp under this Act shall only apply to industrial hemp grown or cultivated for the research program established under this Act. Through the research program, the department of agriculture, in collaboration with building and construction industry consultants, may determine the viability of industrial hemp as a building material for housing, particularly affordable housing in the State. The department of agriculture may work in collaboration with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, its affiliates, and the department of molecular biosciences and bioengineering at the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine to determine the viability of industrial hemp as a building material.
(b) The department of agriculture shall certify that the seed stock to be used in the research program is for growing industrial hemp. The research program established under subsection (a) shall only use industrial hemp seed stock that is certified by the department of agriculture. If the seed stock cannot be verified by the department of agriculture as industrial hemp seed stock, the department shall not commence the growing or cultivation of industrial hemp for the research program.
(c) The research program shall use up to test sites to grow and cultivate industrial hemp.
(d) The department of agriculture shall submit an interim report, including any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2019 and a final report prior to the regular session of 2020 on the following:
(1) The viability of industrial hemp as a building material for affordable housing, including techniques for processing industrial hemp into building material;
(2) The viability of industrial hemp to replace other building materials, such as wood;
(3) Other uses for which industrial hemp may be used in the building and construction industry; and
(4) Any other data deemed important by the department.
(e) For purposes of this Act, the term "industrial hemp" means the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 per cent on a dry weight basis. Any plant that meets the definition of "industrial hemp" under this Act shall not constitute "marijuana" as defined in section 329-1 or 712-1240, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
SECTION 3. (a) No person shall be subject to any civil or criminal sanctions in this State for growing or possessing industrial hemp; provided that the person's growing or possession of industrial hemp is part of the person's participation in the three-year industrial hemp research program and the person's participation is in full compliance with the requirements of the program.
(b) The department of agriculture shall test and monitor the plants growing on test sites to ensure that no marijuana is grown on any sites. If marijuana is found to be growing or being cultivated any test site, then the research project shall cease immediately.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2016, and shall be repealed on July 1, 2019.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Industrial Hemp; Research Program; Building Material; Department of Agriculture
Description:
Authorizes the department of agriculture to establish a three-year industrial hemp research program to investigate the viability of industrial hemp as a building material for housing in the State. Requires a final report to the legislature prior to the convening of the regular session of 2019. Defines "industrial hemp". Repeals 7/1/2019.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
