Bill Text: NY S05309 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Authorizes the department of health to implement a community food security, empowerment and economic development program (SEED) to help meet the food needs of low-income people and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; provides grants for the cost of program projects which will be available to non-profit organizations and local governments, with limited partnership with for-profit enterprises; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO HEALTH [S05309 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S05309-Introduced.html

---

                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5309
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                     April 24, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  creating  a  food
          security, empowerment and economic development program
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds there is  a  need
     2  for  community  economic development to improve the food system in areas
     3  where there is an inadequate food supply and many residents who rely  on
     4  fluctuating  government  and private food assistance. There is a need to
     5  develop food resources and businesses in these communities that  provide
     6  higher  quality,  more  accessible food. The legislature also finds that
     7  local farmers and food producers  can  and  should  benefit  from  these
     8  efforts.
     9    The  legislature  further finds that as the federal government and New
    10  York state attempt to reduce dependency on government, there is  a  need
    11  to  support families leaving public assistance for work. One approach to
    12  increasing work opportunities and addressing the  food  needs  in  these
    13  communities  is  through  the  development of "community food security",
    14  which is defined as people successfully obtaining an acceptable,  nutri-
    15  tious diet using local non-emergency sources.
    16    Community  food  security projects are designed to meet the food needs
    17  of low income people,  increase  the  self-reliance  of  communities  in
    18  providing  for their own food needs, and promote comprehensive responses
    19  to local food, farm and nutrition issues. For  example,  these  projects
    20  provide  training  in  urban  gardening  and sales, assist entrepreneurs
    21  starting  micro-enterprises,  support  farmers'  markets  in  distressed
    22  neighborhoods  and  provide  food-based  educational  opportunities  for
    23  schools.
    24    The legislature supports the goals of  self-reliance,  community-based
    25  economic  development,  profitable local agriculture, improved nutrition
    26  and helping families and individuals  help  themselves.  Therefore,  the
    27  legislature finds that the creation of a community food security program
    28  for  New  York  state will benefit struggling working families and their
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07994-02-9
        S. 5309                             2
     1  communities, provide new markets for family farmers,  create  food-based
     2  jobs  and  small businesses, and ensure healthier citizens and neighbor-
     3  hoods.
     4    § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 27-FF to
     5  read as follows:
     6                                ARTICLE 27-FF
     7                          COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY,
     8                               EMPOWERMENT AND
     9                        ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
    10  Section 2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
    11                  ment program.
    12          2791. Grants to organizations.
    13          2792. Advisory council.
    14    §  2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic development
    15  program.  The community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
    16  ment program is established  within  the  department.  Such  program  is
    17  established  to  support  the  development  of  community  food projects
    18  designed to meet the food needs of low-income people, increase the self-
    19  reliance of communities in  providing  for  their  own  food  needs  and
    20  promote  comprehensive  responses  to  local  food,  farm  and nutrition
    21  issues. These projects will attempt to: increase  the  availability,  in
    22  the  targeted  communities, of culturally acceptable, affordable, nutri-
    23  tionally adequate food, from local sources  whenever  possible;  develop
    24  linkages  between  local  farmers and communities served by the project;
    25  support job development and  job  training,  including  work  experience
    26  required  by  welfare reform; support the development of entrepreneurial
    27  enterprises; promote good nutrition; encourage  long-term  planning  and
    28  multi-agency  involvement  in  the project; and, include community resi-
    29  dents in decision-making.
    30    § 2791. Grants to organizations. The commissioner  shall  make  grants
    31  for  program projects, subject to the availability of funding, to commu-
    32  nity-based nonprofit organizations and local governments.  In  order  to
    33  meet  the  goals of the program, applicants may create partnerships with
    34  other entities, including limited  participation  by  for-profit  enter-
    35  prises.
    36    Preference  for  these  grants  shall  be given to projects located in
    37  communities with a significant percentage of the population  participat-
    38  ing in government and private food assistance programs.
    39    Projects  funded by these grants shall be designed to become self-sus-
    40  taining, not dependent on continual grants from this program.
    41    § 2792. Advisory council. An advisory council shall be established  to
    42  assist  the  commissioner in the development of the grant program and in
    43  reviewing applications for such grants. The council shall be composed of
    44  twelve members with expertise in community food security.   Six  members
    45  shall  be  appointed  by the governor, two members shall be appointed by
    46  the temporary president of the senate, two members shall be appointed by
    47  the speaker of the assembly, one member shall be appointed by the minor-
    48  ity leader of the senate and one member shall be appointed by the minor-
    49  ity leader of the assembly. These members shall serve at the will of the
    50  appointing authority. The commissioners of the office of  temporary  and
    51  disability  assistance, agriculture and markets and economic development
    52  or their designees shall also participate in the advisory council.
    53    § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
    54  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.