Bill Text: NY S00583 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to the establishment of the "Farmland for a New Generation" program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE [S00583 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00583-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           583

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  HELMING,  BORRELLO,  OBERACKER  -- 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 the
          establishment of the "Farmland for a New Generation" program

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
     2  section 323-a to read as follows:
     3    § 323-a. Farmland for a new generation. 1. The commissioner,  together
     4  with  American  Farmland  Trust,  shall oversee and administer a program
     5  entitled "Farmland for a New Generation". Such program shall establish a
     6  statewide resource center for farmland transition and conservation,  and
     7  a  network  of  regional  navigators  to assist with farmland access and
     8  transfer throughout New York.
     9    2. The "Farmland for a New Generation" program may include, but  shall
    10  not  be limited to: helping new farmers find affordable land to start an
    11  agricultural business; enabling farmers to acquire additional  land  for
    12  their  agricultural  business;  assisting  established farmers to find a
    13  successor for their agricultural business;  aiding  farmland  owners  in
    14  finding  farmers willing to farm such farmland; supporting farm families
    15  in transferring ownership of the farmland to successors;  and  assisting
    16  farmers in protecting their land using conservation easements.
    17    § 2. Subject to appropriation, funds shall be allocated to the depart-
    18  ment  of  agriculture  and  markets  for the purpose of carrying out the
    19  provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added
    20  by section one of this act, by establishing a statewide resource  center
    21  in  collaboration  with  American Farmland Trust for farmland transition
    22  and conservation. Subject to appropriation, additional  funds  shall  be
    23  allocated  to the department of agriculture and markets, for the purpose

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01327-01-5
        S. 583                              2

     1  of carrying out the provisions of section 323-a of the  agriculture  and
     2  markets law, as added by section one of this act, by providing financial
     3  assistance  for  regional navigators across the state within the Cornell
     4  Cooperative Extension not-for-profit conservation organization and other
     5  organizations.
     6    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.