SB 3: Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Industrial Hemp Program; licensing; agencies; revocation of licenses; fines; violations. Emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill completely pivots from regulating industrial hemp to prohibiting the land application of biosolids and sludge. While the original version focused on licensing hemp production and setting THC limits, the Senate version bans applying sewage sludge to land starting July 1, 2027, and requires existing permit holders to reduce application volumes by 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from the agricultural hemp industry to environmental waste management, specifically targeting the disposal of sewage sludge.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions related to the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program, including licensing, THC testing, and definitions for hemp products.

REQUIREMENT

Added a ban on land application of sludge and biosolid material effective July 1, 2027.

Required permit holders to submit a cessation plan to the Department of Environmental Quality by September 2025.

TIMELINE

Established a phased reduction schedule requiring permit holders to cut sludge application by 25% by September 2025 and 50% by September 2026.

DEFINITION

Replaced hemp-related definitions with new definitions for 'biosolid material' and 'sludge'.

ENFORCEMENT

Authorized the Department of Environmental Quality to refuse new permits for sludge land application.

Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift focus from regulating sewage sludge (biosolids) to regulating the industrial hemp program. The original text prohibited land application of sludge and set deadlines for reducing its use, while the new text establishes licensing rules, defines what constitutes legal hemp versus controlled substances, and sets specific THC concentration and product limits.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed entirely from environmental regulation of waste (biosolids) to agricultural regulation of industrial hemp production and distribution.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions regarding the prohibition of land application of sludge and biosolids.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Container', 'Fiber', 'Flower', 'Grain', 'Final hemp-derived cannabinoid product', 'Handling', and 'Industrial hemp'.

Added specific exclusions for viable seeds exceeding 0.3% THC, synthetic cannabinoids, and products containing more than 0.4mg of THC per container.

TIMELINE

Removed specific deadlines for reducing sludge application (September 2025 and 2026) and submitting cessation plans.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for state agencies to have authority to revoke licenses or suspend authorizations for hemp program violations.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a civil fine of at least $10,000 for each violation of the hemp program provisions.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill → Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill completely pivoted from regulating an industrial hemp program to prohibiting the land application of sludge and biosolids. The new version bans applying these materials starting July 1, 2027, and requires existing permit holders to reduce application volumes by 25% by September 2025 and 50% by September 2026. It also mandates a plan for total cessation of these activities by a future date.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted entirely from the hemp industry to environmental regulation of wastewater treatment byproducts (sludge and biosolids).

SCOPE

Removed all provisions establishing the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program, including licensing, THC testing, and definitions for hemp products.

TIMELINE

Added a ban on land application of sludge and biosolids effective July 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Required permit holders to reduce sludge/biosolid application by 25% by September 2025 and 50% by September 2026.

Mandated that permit holders submit a plan for full cessation of land application activities by September 1, 2025.

DEFINITION

Replaced hemp-related definitions with new definitions for 'biosolid material' and 'sludge'.

ENFORCEMENT

Authorized the Department of Environmental Quality to revoke permits and impose civil fines for violations of the new sludge application restrictions.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 2 → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten by the House Committee to clarify the definition of industrial hemp and strengthen enforcement mechanisms. The changes ensure strict alignment with federal law by explicitly excluding synthetic cannabinoids and products exceeding the 0.3% THC limit, while adding specific penalties for violations.

Scope change

The scope was refined to explicitly include the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission in licensing and enforcement authority, and to clarify that non-compliant products are treated as controlled dangerous substances.

DEFINITION

Definitions were renumbered and clarified to explicitly exclude synthetic or manufactured cannabinoids and intermediate products with high THC levels.

ENFORCEMENT

The Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission was added to the list of agencies authorized to revoke licenses or impose fines.

Civil fines for violations were increased to a minimum of $10,000 per violation.

REQUIREMENT

New rules were added regarding testing protocols, container limits, age verification, and labeling requirements.

ELIGIBILITY

Exemptions were clarified to strictly limit beverages to 10mg or less of THC per container sold exclusively to adults.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 2 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to update the legislative session dates and author names, and significantly expanded the scope of the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program. The most important change is the addition of a new definition for 'final hemp-derived cannabinoid product,' which clarifies that products intended for human or animal use (like edibles or inhalables) are now explicitly included under the program. The bill also added specific exclusions for synthetic cannabinoids and seeds with high THC levels, while retaining existing definitions for basic plant parts like fiber and grain.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include 'final hemp-derived cannabinoid products' intended for human or animal use, whereas the previous version focused primarily on the raw plant and its basic derivatives.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'final hemp-derived cannabinoid product' to clarify that finished products for consumption (ingestion, inhalation, topical) are covered by the law.

Added exclusions stating that 'hemp' does not include viable seeds with high THC, synthetic cannabinoids, or intermediate products with high THC levels.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header to reflect the 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026) instead of the 59th, and corrected the sponsor list to include 'Marti of the House'.

Changed the bill title from 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1' to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 2' and updated the amendment date.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized the statutory text to include new subsections (C, D, E) regarding agency authority to revoke licenses, impose fines, and enforce the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act.

Engrossed → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift focus from banning sludge and biosolid land application to establishing a comprehensive legal framework for industrial hemp. The original text prohibiting waste disposal has been removed and replaced with new definitions, licensing requirements, and rules for handling non-compliant hemp crops.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed entirely from environmental waste management (prohibiting sludge application) to agricultural regulation (governing the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp).

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated all provisions prohibiting the land application of sludge and biosolid material and removing permits for such actions.

Established specific THC concentration limits (0.3% for general use, 1.0% for remediation) and procedures for handling non-compliant crops.

DEFINITION

Added detailed legal definitions for industrial hemp components, including stalk, fiber, flower, grain, and handling.

ELIGIBILITY

Introduced new criteria for 'key participants' and 'licensees' regarding financial interests and remediation capabilities.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from July 1, 2027 (for sludge ban) to November 1, 2026 (for hemp regulations).

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 8 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift focus from industrial hemp regulation to the prohibition of land-applying sludge and biosolids. The new version bans the application of sewage sludge containing PFAS chemicals starting July 1, 2027, and mandates a phased reduction of existing applications by 2025 and 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed entirely from regulating the cultivation and sale of industrial hemp to prohibiting the land application of sludge and biosolid materials.

SCOPE

All provisions related to the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program, including licensing, THC limits, and hemp definitions, were removed.

New provisions prohibit the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing new permits for sludge or biosolid land application after July 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Entities currently permitted to land apply sludge must reduce application amounts by at least 25% by September 1, 2025.

Entities must further reduce application amounts by an additional 50% (total 75% reduction) by September 1, 2026.

Permitted entities must submit a formal plan to the Department of Environmental Quality for the full cessation of sludge application.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'biosolid material' (sewage sludge containing PFAS) and 'sludge'.

ENFORCEMENT

The authority to revoke permits and impose fines was transferred to the Department of Environmental Quality instead of the Department of Agriculture.

TIMELINE

The effective date for the ban on new permits was set to July 1, 2027, with interim reduction deadlines in 2025 and 2026.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to change its subject matter entirely. The original version established a moratorium on applying sludge and biosolids to land until 2028. The new version establishes an industrial hemp program under the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, setting rules for licensing, testing, and penalties for violations.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from environmental regulation of waste disposal to the regulation of industrial hemp cultivation and product distribution.

SCOPE

Removed the moratorium on land application of sludge and biosolids and the prohibition on issuing related permits.

Added a new program administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to regulate industrial hemp.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for hemp parts (fiber, flower, grain) and cannabinoid products.

ENFORCEMENT

Added authority for agencies to revoke licenses and impose fines of at least $10,000 for violations.

REQUIREMENT

Modified requirements to include testing protocols for THC levels, container limits, age verification, and labeling.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry; Industrial Hemp Program; licensing; agencies; revocation of licenses; fines; violations. Emergency.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors