Trump Signs CR (H.R. 6500) Funding Government Through Dec. 11

TL;DR: President Trump signed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (H.R. 6500) on Sept. 2, 2026, funding the government at FY2026 levels through Dec. 11. The House passed it 370-48 and the Senate 90-6. It extends mandatory livestock reporting and delays a hemp THC ban, but does NOT extend the 2018 Farm Bill past its Sept. 30 cliff.

Key takeaway

The stopgap keeps the government open through Dec. 11 but leaves the Farm Bill facing a Sept. 30 expiration, pushing reauthorization into the December lame duck.

What happened

President Trump signed H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, on Sept. 2, 2026. The measure funds the federal government at FY2026 levels through Dec. 11, 2026. The House passed it 370-48 and the Senate passed it 90-6.

For agriculture, the continuing resolution (CR) extends mandatory livestock reporting on a short-term basis, extends agricultural funding, blocks the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Guidance rewrite, and extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through 2028.

The CR also delays the federal ban on naturally-derived intoxicating hemp THC products from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11, 2026, roughly a four-week reprieve. Synthetic cannabinoids still lose hemp status on Nov. 12 under the signed CR.

Critically, the CR does not extend the 2018 Farm Bill's expiring authorizations beyond Sept. 30. You can track the wider legislative picture on our timeline and status page and compare the pending rewrite on what's new vs. 2018.

What it means

The CR keeps day-to-day government operations funded through Dec. 11, but it leaves the Farm Bill reauthorization unresolved. That distinction matters for the programs that depend on Farm Bill authorizations rather than annual appropriations.

Here is the practical breakdown:

• Livestock producers: Mandatory livestock reporting is extended on a short-term basis, so price-discovery data continues in the near term.
• Hemp THC industry: The ban on naturally-derived intoxicating hemp THC products is delayed to Dec. 11. The hemp-derived THC industry is estimated at approximately $28 billion, making the delay commercially significant.
• Synthetic cannabinoid sellers: No reprieve. Synthetic cannabinoids still lose hemp status on Nov. 12.
• Farm Bill program stakeholders: Programs tied to the 2018 Farm Bill's expiring authorizations face the Sept. 30 cliff, which the CR does not address.

Because the Farm Bill hemp title cliff and other expiring authorizations remain unaddressed, the reauthorization fight moves into the December lame-duck window. See what's missing for the authorizations still hanging and funding breakdown for how mandatory versus discretionary dollars are affected.

What's next

Congress must still pass a farm bill or another extension. The Farm Bill's Sept. 30 expiration is now the near-term pressure point, with the CR's Dec. 11 funding deadline layered on top.

As of Sept. 3, 2026, the Senate returns Sept. 14, leaving roughly 14 session days before the midterm elections. That is a narrow runway to either move H.R. 7567, advance the Senate's competing draft, or attach another Farm Bill extension to a later vehicle. Follow the chamber-by-chamber picture on our Senate status page.

Expect the December lame-duck window to become the likely venue for the reauthorization endgame, since the CR pushes the funding deadline and the hemp-title cliff into that same period. Readers who want to weigh in can use contact Congress.

Frequently asked questions

Did the CR extend the Farm Bill past Sept. 30?

No. The Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (H.R. 6500), signed Sept. 2, 2026, does not extend the 2018 Farm Bill's expiring authorizations beyond Sept. 30, 2026. It funds the government at FY2026 levels through Dec. 11, but the Farm Bill cliff remains unaddressed. Congress must still pass a farm bill or another extension when the Senate returns Sept. 14.

What did H.R. 6500 do for agriculture?

H.R. 6500 extends mandatory livestock reporting on a short-term basis, extends agricultural funding, blocks the OMB Uniform Guidance rewrite, extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) through 2028, and delays the federal hemp THC product ban to Dec. 11, 2026. It funds the government at FY2026 levels through Dec. 11, 2026, but does not reauthorize the Farm Bill.

What were the vote totals on the CR?

The House passed H.R. 6500 by a vote of 370-48 and the Senate passed it 90-6. President Trump signed the measure into law on Sept. 2, 2026. The bill, formally the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, funds the federal government at FY2026 levels through Dec. 11, 2026.

What happened to the hemp THC ban?

The CR delays the federal ban on naturally-derived intoxicating hemp THC products from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11, 2026, a roughly four-week reprieve. Synthetic cannabinoids still lose hemp status on Nov. 12 under the signed CR. The hemp-derived THC industry is estimated at approximately $28 billion, making the delay commercially significant.

When does the government funding run out again?

Government funding under H.R. 6500 runs through Dec. 11, 2026. The CR funds federal operations at FY2026 levels until that date. Because the Farm Bill was not extended, its Sept. 30 expiration cliff and the hemp-title cliff both land ahead of or around that December deadline, pushing the reauthorization fight into the December lame-duck window.

How many days does Congress have to act on the Farm Bill?

As of Sept. 3, 2026, the Senate returns Sept. 14, leaving roughly 14 session days before the midterm elections. In that window Congress must pass a farm bill or another extension to address the Sept. 30 cliff. The reauthorization endgame is expected to move into the December lame-duck period alongside the Dec. 11 funding deadline.

Sources

• Red River Farm Network , CR passage and agriculture provisions, dated 2026-09-02.
• Marijuana Moment / Cannabis Business Times , hemp THC ban delay to Dec. 11 and industry size, dated 2026-09-02.