Updated August 13, 2026
The Senate’s stopgap funding bill (H.R. 6500), which would fund federal agencies through December 11, would also provide a temporary reprieve from the upcoming prohibition on most hemp-derived THC products. The ban was enacted late last year through the Agriculture appropriations bill that redefined hemp to close the “hemp loophole” created by the 2018 Farm Bill.
Rather than changing the effective date, Section 2019 would temporarily limit the prohibition to cannabinoids that cannot be produced naturally by a cannabis plant. As a result, the 0.4-milligram-per-container THC limit, which would effectively prohibit most consumable hemp products, would not apply until December 11, 2026. Synthetic cannabinoids would remain subject to the November 12 deadline.
The provision was added at the request of the White House, and the Administration has lobbied Senate Republicans to retain it. The White House described the provision as creating a four-week window to negotiate a federal regulatory framework while allowing the synthetic cannabinoid ban to take effect. The outreach appears to have persuaded some members, with Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) citing administration assurances that it would regulate the industry during that period.
Beyond hemp, this measure would also temporarily prevent the Administration from implementing its proposal to place political appointees in charge of approving federal grants, and would prohibit new funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the stopgap period.
The broader package continues to advance with strong bipartisan support. On Friday, August 8, the measure passed the Senate in a vote of 90-6 and now returns to the House of Representatives, which approved a more limited extension through December 4 without the hemp or grant provisions. On August 13, House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC) indicated that she expects the Senate bill to receive sufficient bipartisan support to pass under suspension of the rules, a procedure that would allow the House to bypass the Rules Committee but require support from two-thirds of Members present and voting. Upon return from August recess, the House will need to accept the changes made by the Senate, or negotiate a compromise, before Congress can enact a final package to avert an October 1 shutdown.
For more information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Sarah Dukett.