STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7020 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY May 10, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUPARDO -- (at request of the Department of Agri- culture and Markets) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 309-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added 2 by chapter 129 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 309-a. [Young] Beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture. 1. 4 There shall be established within the department the [young] beginning 5 farmer advisory board on agriculture, to advise and make recommendations 6 to the state agencies on state government plans, policies and programs 7 affecting agriculture, as outlined below, and in such areas as its expe- 8 rience and studies may indicate to be appropriate. The department shall 9 provide necessary secretariat and support services to the board. 10 2. The [young] beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture shall 11 consist of [twenty] twenty-two members, [ten] to be appointed by the 12 [governor, with the advice and consent of the senate and assembly, 13 selected] commissioner for their experience and expertise related to 14 areas of board responsibility. The board shall be comprised of diverse 15 members of the agriculture industry as follows: 16 (a) Of the [twenty] twenty-two members appointed to the board: 17 (1) one shall be from the department; 18 (2) one shall be from the empire state development corporation; 19 (3) one shall be an officer of the Future Farmers of America (FFA); 20 (4) one shall be from the department of labor; 21 (5) one shall be an urban farmer; 22 [(5)] (6) one shall be from the New York Farm Bureau;[ and 23 (6) fifteen shall be from the general public appointed as follows: 24 five to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, five to EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05979-01-3
A. 7020 2 1 be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and five to be appointed by 2 the governor.] 3 (7) one shall be from the Cornell Small farms program; 4 (8) one shall be from the United States department of agriculture; 5 (9) one shall be an organic farmer; 6 (10) one shall be a veteran farmer; 7 (11) one shall be from the Young Farmers coalition; 8 (12) one shall be a member of a group identified in the most recent 9 United States department of agriculture census of agriculture that is 10 currently underrepresented in farm ownership; and 11 (13) ten shall be entry level farmers or novice farmers, agriculture 12 service providers, financial and legal service providers to farm opera- 13 tors, Cornell Cooperative Extension representatives, advocacy organiza- 14 tion representatives, academics, agricultural leaders, and/or others who 15 can contribute to the work of the advisory board on issues, including, 16 among others: access to land and capital, grants, business planning, 17 farm processes and government programs. 18 (b) Each member shall: 19 (1) be interested in the preservation and development of agriculture 20 and preservation of the agricultural way of life in New York; 21 (2) be [under the age of forty-five years old at the beginning of the 22 member's term] actively involved in farming, agricultural activities, 23 agricultural research and/or providing services to the agricultural 24 community in the state; 25 (3) [derive at least fifty percent of the member's personal income 26 from farming or agricultural activities in the state; 27 (4)] be a resident of the state; and 28 [(5)] (4) be appointed for a term of three years and may serve until 29 their successors are chosen; provided, however, that of the members 30 first appointed, six shall serve for a term of one year, six shall serve 31 for a term of two years and eight shall serve for a term of three years. 32 (c) Members shall serve without salary but shall be entitled to 33 reimbursement of their ordinary and necessary travel expenses. 34 (d) The members of the board shall meet [quarterly] twice a year. 35 3. The duties and responsibilities of the [young] beginning farmer 36 advisory board on agriculture shall include, but not be limited to: 37 (a) annually electing from its members a chairperson, a vice chair- 38 person, and a secretary of the advisory board at the advisory board's 39 first meeting of the calendar year; 40 (b) communicating to the [general] public, the federal government, and 41 the state government the importance of [young and] beginning farmers to 42 agriculture in the state; 43 (c) [identify] identifying issues relating to [young and] beginning 44 farmers in the state and provide timely advice to the commissioner, the 45 governor and the relevant state agencies, with regard to the promotion 46 of agriculture as a career path and the economic development of [young 47 and aspiring] beginning farmers; 48 (d) [produc an annual] producing a biennial report and provide such 49 report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the 50 speaker of the assembly on or before the end of each calendar year. Such 51 report shall identify and prioritize policy issues which affect [young 52 and aspiring] beginning farmers; and 53 (e) establish committees, as necessary, to develop projects relating 54 to the aspects of life for [young and] beginning farmers in the state. 55 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.