Bill Text: NY S03142 | 2019-2020 | 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 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE [S03142 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S03142-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3142
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    February 4, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. HELMING -- 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
    24  of  carrying  out the provisions of section 323-a of the agriculture and
    25  markets law, as added by section one of this act, by providing financial
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05116-01-9
        S. 3142                             2
     1  assistance for regional navigators across the state within  the  Cornell
     2  Cooperative Extension not-for-profit conservation organization and other
     3  organizations.
     4    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.