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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB140

HB 140: Create the Department of Agriculture

Last scannedSep 20, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This bill creates a new state agency called the Department of Agriculture and moves farming-related duties from the Department of Natural Resources to this new department.

What it does

  • Establishes the Department of Agriculture as a separate government agency by renaming existing roles from 'Natural Resources' to 'Agriculture'.
  • Transfers functions related to agriculture, such as promoting farms and regulating seeds, from the Department of Natural Resources.
  • Requires the commissioner to oversee industrial hemp rules, including testing for THC levels after harvest and setting isolation distances between plants.
  • Allows the commissioner to issue stop orders against people growing unregistered cannabis or registered hemp with high THC levels.
  • Gives the commissioner power to sell 'Alaska Grown' branded merchandise and charge fees for licenses related to that trademark.

Who it affects

  • Farmers, ranchers, and anyone raising elk in Alaska.
  • People who grow industrial hemp or cannabis products.
  • The Department of Natural Resources, which loses its agriculture duties.
  • The Marijuana Control Board and the Department of Public Safety.

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill text does not state a specific date when these changes will take effect.
  • The provided excerpt ends before finishing the definition of 'lawfully owns' for elk farming licenses.
  • The full list of fees and detailed regulations is not included in this summary.

Plain language

Terms to know

Commissioner
The head official who runs a government department or agency.
Industrial Hemp
A type of cannabis plant grown for fiber, seeds, and other products that must have low levels of THC.
Stop Order
An official command from the government to immediately end an activity or operation.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

CREATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE An Act establishing the Department of Agriculture; relating to the establishment of the Department of Agriculture; transferring functions of the Department of Natural Resources related to agriculture to the Department of Agriculture; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) Minutes (HL&C)Min
  2. (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124Text
  3. (H) Minutes (HRES)Min
  4. (H) Heard & HeldText
  5. (H) RESOURCES at 01:00 PM BARNES 124Text
  6. (H) REFERRED TO RESOURCES478
  7. (H) RES, FIN478
  8. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS478