UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS HB 356/GA
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HB035610.100 - 376 - XXXX 3/6/2025 3:07 PM GA
AN ACT relating to the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
ď˘SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 247 IS CREATED TO 3
READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) As used in this section: 5
(a) "Extension service" means the University of Kentucky Cooperative 6
Extension Service; 7
(b) "Initiative" means the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative 8
established in this section; 9
(c) "Program" means any educational program that is part of the initiative; 10
and 11
(d) "Urban county" means a county with a population of one hundred fifty 12
thousand (150,000) or more according to the most recent federal decennial 13
census. 14
(2) There is hereby established the Kentucky Urban Youth Agriculture Initiative, 15
which shall be administered by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension 16
Service and its individual offices within the Commonwealth in partnership with 17
other organizations as appropriate. Beginning September 1, 2025, the extension 18
service shall initiate a pilot program in one (1) or more individual offices. 19
Beginning September 1, 2026, and as funding allows, the extension service may 20
begin full implementation and evaluation of the pilot program in all appropriate 21
offices throughout the Commonwealth, with potential program scaling and 22
expansion to begin September 1, 2027. 23
(3) The initiative shall: 24
(a) Promote farming, agriculture, agribusiness, and the efficient use of land in 25
urban counties; 26
(b) Educate program participants on all aspects of farming, agriculture, and 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS HB 356/GA
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HB035610.100 - 376 - XXXX 3/6/2025 3:07 PM GA
agribusiness in an urban environment and encourage the adoption of urban 1
agriculture best practices and skills and knowledge development to become 2
informed agriculture consumers and advocates; and 3
(c) Promote age-appropriate, experiential, or work-ready agricultural and 4
agribusiness programming, including formal internships and 5
apprenticeships. 6
(4) The length of each program term shall be one (1) year in duration, and each term 7
shall begin in January on a date specified by the extension service. Programs 8
shall be available to applicants at each extension service office located within or 9
serving an urban county of the Commonwealth. An office may work with an 10
existing state or local agricultural organization to better provide for the 11
administration of a program and the initiative. 12
(5) Each extension service office administering a program shall accept and review 13
applications from eligible applicants. Program participation shall be at the 14
discretion of each office and shall include as many participants as is practicable 15
on an annual basis. To be eligible to participate in a program, a participant shall: 16
(a) Be at least five (5) years of age and no more than eighteen (18) years of age; 17
(b) Have obtained parent or guardian permission to participate in accordance 18
with the University of Kentucky Cooperate Extension Service youth 19
protection policies; and 20
(c) Be available to participate in the program for the full duration of the term. 21