WASHINGTON, DC - It was a massive multi-billion dollar bill signed into law last year. Now members of Congress are pushing regulators to learn how the Farm Bill is actually being implemented.

Though hemp was legalized in the Farm Bill last year, the rules for how the industry will operate are still being developed by federal regulators.

Congressman James Comer (R-Murray) pushed Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins for answers at a recent hearing on how the behemoth $428 billion Farm Bill is being implemented. Hutchins said the USDA was committed to rolling out rules but didn’t offer specifics or a timeline. 

"In August EPA announced they are working on approving ten pesticide applications for industrial hemp in hopes of getting them through the approval process for the next growing season. My question is, has USDA been involved with the EPA in conversations during this process?" asked Comer.

Hutchins responded, "They have conducted or are in the process of conducting studies to incorporate hemp within its priorities."

Meanwhile, lawmakers in the Senate are asking questions too, including Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan.)

"I’m concerned that the USDA is rewriting critical parts of the Farm Bill, that we passed by the largest bipartisan vote ever, prioritizing in the efforts to mitigate trade, some regions and farmers over others in a way that doesn’t make sense to me when we look at who has been impacted."

Agriculture policy is a rare area where lawmakers can come to some bipartisan agreement but Democrats are raising pointed concerns about the USDA’s commitment to climate change in adopting Farm Bill provisions and how the recent decision to move USDA personnel to Kansas City will impact grant recipients. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stephen Censky did offer some concrete policy implementations.

"Most recently RD has expanded access to credit for rural communities by increasing the population limits for community facilities and water and waste disposal programs to 50,000 as directed in the 2018 Farm Bill."