STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9248
IN SENATE
May 7, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- (at request of the Department of Agricul-
ture and Markets) -- 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
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-five members[, ten to be appointed by the
12 governor, with the advice and consent of the senate and assembly,]
13 selected for their experience and expertise related to areas of board
14 responsibility[. The board shall be] and comprised of diverse members of
15 the agriculture industry, including the commissioner, or the commission-
16 er's designee, with the remaining members selected as follows:
17 (a) [Of] The commissioner shall appoint the [twenty] following eleven
18 board members [appointed to the board]:
19 (1) one [shall be] representative from the [department;
20 (2) one shall be from the] empire state development corporation;
21 [(3)] (2) one [shall be an] officer of the Future Farmers of America
22 (FFA);
23 [(4)] (3) one representative from the department of labor;
24 (4) one [shall be an] urban farmer;
25 (5) one [shall be] representative from the New York Farm Bureau;[ and
26 (6) fifteen shall be from the general public appointed as follows:
27 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.
LBD05979-03-4
S. 9248 2
1 be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and five to be appointed by
2 the governor.]
3 (6) one participant from the Cornell small farms program;
4 (7) one representative from the United States department of agricul-
5 ture;
6 (8) one organic farmer;
7 (9) one veteran farmer;
8 (10) one representative from the Young Farmers coalition;
9 (11) one member of a group identified in the most recent United States
10 department of agriculture census of agriculture that is currently under-
11 represented in farm ownership; and
12 (b) The remaining thirteen board members shall be from entry level
13 farmers or novice farmers, agriculture service providers, financial and
14 legal service providers to farm operators, Cornell Cooperative Extension
15 representatives, advocacy organization representatives, academics, agri-
16 cultural leaders, and/or others who can contribute to the work of the
17 advisory board on issues, including, among others: access to land and
18 capital, grants, business planning, farm processes and government
19 programs selected as follows: seven appointed by the commissioner; two
20 appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two appointed by the
21 speaker of the assembly; one appointed by the minority leader of the
22 senate; and one appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
23 [(b)](c) Each member shall:
24 (1) be interested in the preservation and development of agriculture
25 and preservation of the agricultural way of life in New York;
26 (2) be [under the age of forty-five years old at the beginning of the
27 member's term] actively involved in farming, agricultural activities,
28 agricultural research and/or providing services to the agricultural
29 community in the state;
30 (3) [derive at least fifty percent of the member's personal income
31 from farming or agricultural activities in the state;
32 (4)] be a resident of the state; and
33 [(5)] (4) be appointed for a term of three years and may serve until
34 their successors are chosen; provided, however, that of the members
35 first appointed, [six] eight shall serve for a term of one year, [six]
36 eight shall serve for a term of two years and [eight] nine shall serve
37 for a term of three years.
38 [(c)] (d) Members shall serve without salary but shall be entitled to
39 reimbursement of their ordinary and necessary travel expenses.
40 [(d)] (e) The members of the board shall meet [quarterly] twice a
41 year.
42 (f) The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, shall chair the
43 board and the department shall provide the necessary secretariat and
44 support services to the board.
45 3. The duties and responsibilities of the [young] beginning farmer
46 advisory board on agriculture shall include, but not be limited to:
47 (a) [annually electing from its members a chairperson, a vice chair-
48 person, and a secretary of the advisory board at the advisory board's
49 first meeting of the calendar year;
50 (b)] communicating to the [general] public, the federal government,
51 and the state government the importance of [young and] beginning farmers
52 to agriculture in the state;
53 [(c) identify] (b) identifying issues relating to [young and] begin-
54 ning farmers in the state and provide timely advice to the commissioner,
55 the governor and the relevant state agencies, with regard to the
S. 9248 3
1 promotion of agriculture as a career path and the economic development
2 of [young and aspiring] beginning farmers;
3 [(d) produce an annual] (c) producing a biennial report and provide
4 such report to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and
5 the speaker of the assembly on or before the end of each calendar year.
6 Such report shall identify and prioritize policy issues which affect
7 [young and aspiring] beginning farmers; and
8 [(e) establish] (d) establishing committees, as necessary, to develop
9 projects relating to the aspects of life for [young and] beginning farm-
10 ers in the state.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.