STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5159 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, WEBB -- 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 provid- ing additional duties of the community gardens task force The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 31-j of the agriculture and markets law is amended 2 by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows: 3 6. (a) The task force shall conduct an assessment of all community 4 gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each 5 eligible garden's designation as a critical environmental area (CEA) 6 pursuant to paragraph one of subdivision (g) of section 617.14 of title 7 six of the official compilation of codes, rules and regulations of the 8 state of New York. The task force shall provide a status report on the 9 assessment to the governor and the legislature on or before January 10 first, two thousand twenty-six, and shall complete such assessment on or 11 before January first, two thousand twenty-seven. The task force shall 12 conduct additional assessments of any new community gardens on publicly 13 owned land on or before January first, two thousand thirty-one and on or 14 before January first of each fifth year thereafter. In conducting the 15 assessment, the task force shall: 16 (i) consult, to the fullest extent possible, with members of each 17 community garden regarding the garden's characteristics; 18 (ii) consult, to the fullest extent possible, with the department of 19 environmental conservation regarding the requirements for CEA desig- 20 nation; and 21 (iii) prepare a written summary of its findings regarding each commu- 22 nity garden that shall include: 23 (A) the name and address of the garden; 24 (B) the name of the state or local agency that has jurisdiction over 25 the garden; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06082-01-5S. 5159 2 1 (C) a description of all the characteristics of the garden that cover 2 the factors in paragraph one of subdivision (g) of section 617.14 of 3 title six of the official compilation of codes, rules and regulations of 4 the state of New York; 5 (D) the task force's conclusion as to whether the currently undesig- 6 nated garden meets the requirement for CEA designation; and 7 (E) any other information the task force deems appropriate. 8 (b) Upon completion of the assessment, the task force shall, to the 9 extent possible, provide the written summaries of its findings to a 10 member of each garden's leadership and, for the community gardens that 11 are currently undesignated and that meet the requirement for CEA desig- 12 nation, provide the written summaries of its findings to the agencies 13 with jurisdiction over the gardens, along with a recommendation that the 14 agencies designate the gardens as CEAs. 15 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.