New York Senate Bill S00337 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 337 2023-2024 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE (Prefiled) January 4, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab- lishing a farm-to-school task force; and to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all public schools to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports local agriculture and increases market opportunities for farmers from under-represented communities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5-b of section 16 of the agriculture and 2 markets law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows: 3 (d) Establish a task force to study and make recommendations on how to 4 provide fresh foods in all school districts in the state, while support- 5 ing New York local agriculture, and increasing market opportunities for 6 farmers from under-represented communities, including but not limited to 7 farmers who are black, indigenous, and people of color. Such task force 8 shall be composed of nine members who shall possess expertise in issues 9 relating to the work of the task force. Two members shall be appointed 10 by the governor, two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the 11 assembly, two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of 12 the senate, one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 13 assembly, one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 14 senate and one member shall be the commissioner or his or her designee. 15 The commissioner or his or her designee shall serve as chairperson of 16 the task force. Members of the task force shall be appointed no later 17 than one hundred twenty days after the effective date of this paragraph. 18 Vacancies shall be filled within thirty days in the same manner provided 19 for original appointments. No later than one year after all initial 20 appointments have been made the task force shall make a report to the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02245-01-3 
 S. 337 2 1 governor, the legislature and the commissioner of education of its find- 2 ings, conclusions and recommendations. 3 § 2. Subdivision 31 of section 305 of the education law, as added by 4 chapter 2 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows: 5 31. The commissioner shall cooperate with the commissioner of agricul- 6 ture and markets in establishing a farm-to-school program and coordinat- 7 ing New York Harvest For New York Kids Week as described in subdivision 8 five-b of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law. The 9 commissioner's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, 10 developing a program based on the findings of the task force established 11 pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision five-b of section sixteen of 12 the agriculture and markets law, to require all school districts in the 13 state to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports New 14 York local agriculture while increasing market opportunities for farmers 15 from under-represented communities, compiling information for the 16 department of agriculture and markets from school districts and other 17 educational institutions under the department's jurisdiction interested 18 in purchasing New York farm products and disseminating to those 19 districts and institutions information from the department of agricul- 20 ture and markets about the availability of New York farm products, and 21 contact information for farmers and other businesses marketing such 22 products. The commissioner shall report to the legislature about the 23 need for changes in law to facilitate the purchase of such products by 24 schools and other institutions. 25 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 26 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.