The bill to reopen the federal government – HR 5371 – provides appropriations for most federal agencies through January 30, 2026, and appropriations through the end of 2026 for the Department of Agriculture, the FDA, Department of Defense military construction and family housing activities, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Congress and agencies that support Congress, and certain legislative branch programs. The bill also provides back pay to all federal employees who were not paid during the government shutdown, prohibits federal agencies from taking actions related to a reduction in force (RIF) through January 30, 2026, and nullifies RIFs that were implemented by federal agencies between October 1, 2025, and the date of enactment. 

One section of the bill would also change the laws on industrial hemp. The new provisions in the bill are directed at the tetrahydrocannabinols that make certain hemp-based products intoxicating. Although Delta-9 THC compounds in hemp have been regulated, growers and manufacturers have also been deriving Delta-8 compounds, which are not subject to criminal penalties under current law. Senator Mitch McConnell is among those who have been pushing to close what they regard as loopholes in current law.

Hemp production has significant economic implications in many states, including North Carolina, with opponents of the proposed restrictions saying the bill may lead to the destruction of seeds and crops and billions of dollars in losses to the hemp industry.

Author: sdbrownlow

Student of Design