Proposals to allow New Hampshire farmers to grow hemp and to establish a pharmaceutical buyback program are among the more the 30 bills that were scheduled for votes today, before the latest snowstorm canceled the session. Overall, 26 bills from nine House committees were rolled into the House Consent Calendar.
Here we highlight three proposals that were put on the regular calendar, which will likely be moved to next Wednesday. The Senate will hold its session tomorrow (Feb. 3) at noon.
Rx Drug Return
House Bill 71, which would allow for establishment of pharmaceutical drug take-back programs, was the subject of a Front Door Politics dispatch last month. The measure had strong bipartisan support and was recommended for passage by the House Health, Human Services & Elderly Affairs Committee with a unanimous 17-0 vote.
In the committee’s report to the full House, Rep. Evalyn Merrick (D-Lancaster) said the ability of New Hampshire communities and private entities to establish take-back programs for both uncontrolled and controlled drugs would build upon previous efforts with local law enforcement officials to remove “thousands of unused medications from homes and (the) streets of New Hampshire.”
Weeding Out Industrial Hemp
A Hopkinton lawmaker this year continues his quest to allow farmers to grow industrial hemp in New Hampshire. Rep. Derek Owen (D) has sponsored at least seven similar bills since 1998. This year’s measure, House Bill 101, would also set up a special state agricultural program to oversee the production. But there is a catch:
Federal law prohibits the growing of industrial hemp. Owen’s bill respects this by providing that the program would only be implemented once the federal government amends its laws.
By an 11-7 vote, the Environment and Agriculture sent the bill to the full House with an “Inexpedient to Legislate” recommendation, saying that if the federal law changes, then a New Hampshire law would be unnecessary. They also question the passage of creating a program to oversee the production, since costs are unknown at this time.
Critics of industrial hemp say it is closer to the drug marijuana than it is to a fiber. But advocates say there is a distinct difference in the chemical make up and the crop is grown and utilized in a wide range of products in Canada, China, Germany and a number of other countries.
Unrestricted Agents
By a 7-5 vote, the Executive Departments and Administration Committee recommended passage of a bill to repeal a 2007 law requiring sports agents to register with the state. House Bill 136 is sponsored by committee chair Carol McGuire (R-Epsom). In the majority report, Rep. Spec Bowers (R-Georges Mills) said only six agents have registered since the law was passed and there have been no enforcement actions.
“It is not needed because athletes, parents, and coaches are knowledgeable about the rules and are fully able to exercise individual responsibility,” Bowers said. “The statute is harmful in that it encourages reliance on the government to protect people from their own decisions.”
According the Secretary of State web site (the agency that oversees sports agent registrations), it costs $100 for a new sports agent application and $50 for renewal.
This Daily Dispatch was written by Michael McCord.