Bill Text: NY A06019 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Encourages the expansion of the production of fresh fruits and vegetables by community gardens.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-09-13 - signed chap.272 [A06019 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A06019-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6019--A
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 26, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M.  of A. ORTIZ, SEAWRIGHT, D'URSO, ARROYO, BLAKE, COOK,
          EPSTEIN, JEAN-PIERRE, SAYEGH, DICKENS,  McDONALD,  GOTTFRIED,  JAFFEE,
          M. G. MILLER  -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SIMON -- read once and
          referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee discharged, bill
          amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
          tee
        AN  ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to expand-
          ing the production of fresh fruits and vegetables by community gardens
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  Section 31-f of the agriculture and markets law, as added
     2  by chapter 528 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
     3    §  31-f.  Legislative  findings.  The  legislature  hereby  finds  and
     4  declares  that community gardens provide significant health, educational
     5  and social benefits to the general  public,  especially  for  those  who
     6  reside in urban and suburban areas of this state. Furthermore, it is the
     7  articulated  public policy of this state to promote and foster growth in
     8  the number of community gardens and the acreage  of  such  gardens.  The
     9  community  garden  movement  continues  to provide low cost food that is
    10  fresh and nutritious for those who may be unable to  readily  afford  or
    11  have  easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables for themselves or their
    12  families, promotes public health and healthier individual lifestyles  by
    13  encouraging  better  eating  habits  and  increased physical activity by
    14  growing their own food, fosters the  retention  and  expansion  of  open
    15  spaces,  particularly in urban environments, enhances urban and suburban
    16  environmental quality and community beautification, provides inexpensive
    17  community building activities, recreation and physical exercise for  all
    18  age groups, establishes a safe place for community involvement and helps
    19  to  reduce  the  incidence  of  crime,  engenders  a closer relationship
    20  between urban residents, nature and their local environment, and fosters
    21  green job training and ecological education at all levels. It is  there-
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD06133-02-9
        A. 6019--A                          2
     1  fore  the  intent  of the legislature and the purpose of this article to
     2  foster growth in the number, size and scope of community gardens in this
     3  state by encouraging state agencies, municipalities and private  parties
     4  in their efforts to promote community gardens.
     5    §  2.  Paragraph f of subdivision 2 of section 31-h of the agriculture
     6  and markets law, as added by chapter 528 of the laws of 2013, is amended
     7  to read as follows:
     8    f. Assist, support and encourage communication,  and  the  sharing  of
     9  resources  between  community  garden  organizations [and], the New York
    10  Harvest For New York Kids Week program  established  by  the  department
    11  pursuant to subdivision five-b of section sixteen of this chapter[,] and
    12  individual  farm-to-school and school garden programs, and, where appli-
    13  cable, the department of health, the department of state, the office  of
    14  children  and  family services and the division of housing and community
    15  renewal.
    16    § 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 31-j of the agriculture
    17  and markets law, as amended by chapter 154  of  the  laws  of  2015,  is
    18  amended to read as follows:
    19    (a)  The  goals of the task force may include, but are not limited to,
    20  the study, evaluation and development of recommendations: (i) to encour-
    21  age the establishment and expansion of community gardens by state  agen-
    22  cies, municipal governments and private parties, (ii) to encourage coop-
    23  eration  between  the activities and operations of community gardens and
    24  provision of donated food to local voluntary  food  assistance  programs
    25  for  the  poor  and  disadvantaged,  (iii) to increase the benefits that
    26  community gardens may provide to the local community in which  they  are
    27  located, [and] (iv) to encourage cooperation with community-based organ-
    28  izations  to  increase  the  opportunities for seniors, those aged sixty
    29  years of age or older, to participate in community gardens, and  (v)  to
    30  encourage the expansion of the production of fresh fruits and vegetables
    31  in  areas  served by community gardens so that such fresh produce can be
    32  consumed locally to help encourage healthier life styles  and  wellness,
    33  and to help reduce the incidence of adult and childhood obesity.
    34    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.