Bill Text: MA H832 | 2009-2010 | 186th General Court | Introduced
Bill Title: The establishment of an industrial hemp legalization commission
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-01-20 - Public Hearing date 3/9 at 1:00 PM in Hearing Room B2 [H832 Detail]
Download: Massachusetts-2009-H832-Introduced.html
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
PRESENTED BY:
Frank I. Smizik
_______________
To the
Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:
AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN INDUSTRIAL HEMP LEGALIZATION COMMISSION.
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PETITION OF:
|
Name: |
District/Address: |
|
Frank I. Smizik |
15th Norfolk |
|
Tom Sannicandro |
7th Middlesex |
|
Bruce E. Tarr |
First Essex and Middlesex |
The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand and Nine
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AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN INDUSTRIAL HEMP LEGALIZATION COMMISSION.
Be
it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be established an Industrial Hemp Legalization Commission which shall consist of two members of the house of representatives who shall be appointed by the speaker of the house; two members of the senate who shall be appointed by the president of the senate; 10 members who shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be the Commissioner of Agriculture; 1 of whom shall be the Commissioner of Public Safety; 1 of whom shall be a representative from the Executive Office Housing and Economic Development; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Board of Agriculture; 1 of whom shall be a representative of an agricultural trade organization; 2 of whom shall be representatives of the farmers of the commonwealth; and 1 of whom shall be the Dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; All members shall serve without compensation. Said commission may consult individuals and entities outside of its membership for research, advice, support, and other functions necessary and appropriate to accomplish the commission’s objectives.
(b) The commission shall make an investigation and study relative to improving the conditions necessary to, and determining the feasibility of, legalizing industrial hemp for the use of manufacturing in the commonwealth. The commission shall examine the viability of a legal industrial hemp industry including, but not limited to: (1) the collection of existing data concerning agricultural viability; (2) the collection of existing data concerning long-term economic benefits to the farmers who produce the hemp and the persons who use hemp in the production of materials; and (3) sites for the harvesting and the production of industrial hemp, taking into account current uses and any other environmental factors.
(c) The commission shall submit a report of its findings together with legislation, if any, to the chairs of the joint committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture and the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means no later than February 1, 2011.
