President Donald Trump signed the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Extensions Act (H.R. 5371) on Nov. 10, ending the longest government shutdown in American history.

The 44-day shutdown resulted from a standoff between Democrats and Republicans, particularly over healthcare subsidies and government funding appropriations.

H.R. 5371, or the bill that reopened the government, is, in part, a temporary fix for a long-term problem. The act provided funding for most government agencies through Jan. 30, 2026. If Congress does not pass a new bill or a Continuing Resolution by then, the government is susceptible to another shutdown. 

The bill also outlines several other measures. 

Hemp redefinition and rollbacks

The bill redefined what hemp is, causing many products previously legal to no longer qualify as hemp. This change, however, only takes effect 365 days after the passage of H.R. 5371.

Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant: cannabis. Marijuana contains large amounts of THC, with amounts varying from flowers to buds to concentrates, and people use it in a variety of ways, from social or recreational use to pain or anxiety relief. 

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is an active chemical in cannabis that contributes to these effects. 

Hemp, however, contains very little THC.

The 2018 Farm Bill defined hemp as “cannabis plants and products with 0.3% or less delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis.” 

The new bill defines hemp as all THC. Now, hemp products must have 0.3% total THC — not just delta-9 — to remain legal. 

Because of the bill, most hemp-derived THC products, like CBD products, delta-8 and concentrated wax pens, will no longer be qualified as hemp and will become federally illegal.

Tennessee’s current hemp guidelines and regulations will remain unchanged, according to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

“Until TDA has more information, Tennessee’s hemp program will remain unchanged under existing state law while federal agencies develop guidance to implement the new provision,” the state’s website stated. “Similarly, at this time, regulation of hemp production and hemp-derived cannabinoid products also remains unchanged under current state law.

Federal back pay and reduction-in-forces reversals

H.R. 5371 guaranteed back pay for federal employees who went unpaid or were sent home during the shutdown.

The bill also reverses reduction-in-forces (RIF) actions that government agencies may have taken during the shutdown.

Following advice from the White House for agencies to plan for layoffs in the event of a federal funding lapse, approximately 4,200 federal employees received RIF notices during the shutdown. All of the furloughed employees are to be reinstated and receive back pay. 

Full-year funding

Despite providing temporary funding to most government agencies until Jan. 30, 2026, the bill provides full-year funding for several government agencies.

The Food and Drug Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the legislative branch, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense — specifically for military construction — received full-year appropriations for the 2026 fiscal year, according to a Statement of Administration Policy from the Office of the President.

“Further, this is a fiscally responsible package that provides the full-year funding necessary to support the Nation’s veterans, farmers, and rural communities,” the statement said. “H.R. 5371, as amended, also ends disruptions to programs the American people rely on and ensures the thousands of Federal employees who have been forced to work without a paycheck, such as air traffic controllers, will be promptly paid.”