Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1608
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       3-01478-16                                            20161608__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Florida Agricultural and
    3         Mechanical University Industrial Hemp Program;
    4         creating s. 1004.4473, F.S.; authorizing the Florida
    5         Agricultural and Mechanical University to engage in
    6         certain research related to industrial hemp under
    7         certain conditions; creating the Industrial Hemp
    8         Program upon approval by the Board of Trustees of the
    9         Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University;
   10         defining terms; providing the purpose of the program;
   11         requiring the university to establish an Office of
   12         Hemp Research Compliance to manage the program and
   13         enforce rules regulating the program; requiring the
   14         university to adopt certain rules; providing an
   15         effective date.
   16          
   17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   18  
   19         Section 1. Section 1004.4473, Florida Statutes, is created
   20  to read:
   21         1004.4473 Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
   22  Industrial Hemp Program.—
   23         (1) The Legislature authorizes the Florida Agricultural and
   24  Mechanical University, upon approval by its board of trustees,
   25  to engage in industrial hemp research in accordance with this
   26  section and all other state and federal law.
   27         (2) Subject to an affirmative vote of the Board of Trustees
   28  of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University as
   29  specified in subsection (1), there is created the Industrial
   30  Hemp Program at the university. The purpose of this program is
   31  to conduct and disseminate research related to the cultivating,
   32  harvesting, processing, and uses of industrial hemp.
   33         (3) As used in this section, the term:
   34         (a) “Hemp material” means any substance containing hemp
   35  stems, leaves, fibers, seeds, extracts, or oil, or any other
   36  substance derived or harvested from any species of the cannabis
   37  plant.
   38         (b) “Qualified program personnel” means persons certified
   39  by the Office of Hemp Research Compliance to work in the
   40  Industrial Hemp Program. At a minimum, a person applying for
   41  certification must be 18 years of age or older, pass a criminal
   42  background check, and be either employed by, or enrolled in, the
   43  Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
   44         (4) In implementing the program, the university shall
   45  establish the Office of Hemp Research Compliance. The office
   46  shall manage the program and enforce rules regulating the
   47  program. The university shall also adopt rules to ensure the
   48  proper operation and security of the program. At minimum, these
   49  rules must:
   50         (a) Designate the physical location of the industrial hemp
   51  research facility. Areas must be designated within the facility
   52  as general access or limited access. An area where industrial
   53  hemp is cultivated, processed, stored, or packaged, or
   54  industrial hemp research is conducted, must be designated as
   55  limited access. Access to limited access areas is restricted to
   56  qualified program personnel and to authorized visitors, who must
   57  be accompanied at all times by qualified program personnel. All
   58  other areas of the facility may be designated as general access
   59  and open to authorized visitors, with or without accompaniment
   60  by qualified program personnel.
   61         (b) Establish minimum security standards for the handling
   62  of industrial hemp, including:
   63         1. Processing and disposal requirements for any waste
   64  containing hemp material.
   65         2. Storage, testing, research, and transportation
   66  requirements for hemp materials.
   67         3. Packaging, labeling, and tracking requirements for hemp
   68  materials.
   69         (c) Facilitate coordination with local and state law
   70  enforcement agencies to ensure that the program is in compliance
   71  with this section and other state and federal law.
   72         (d) Establish a testing program and protocols to ensure the
   73  proper labeling of hemp material.
   74         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.