Bill Text: NY S08560 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Requires the community gardens task force to conduct an assessment of all community gardens located on publicly owned land in the state to facilitate each garden's designation as a critical environmental area.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-18 - ADVANCED TO THIRD READING [S08560 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S08560-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          8560

                    IN SENATE

                                    February 14, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  COMRIE -- 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-five, and shall complete such  assessment  on
    11  or  before  January first, two thousand twenty-six. 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 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;
    26    (C) a description of all the characteristics of the garden that  cover
    27  the  factors  in  paragraph  one of subdivision (g) of section 617.14 of

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02740-04-4
        S. 8560                             2

     1  title six of the official compilation of codes, rules and regulations of
     2  the state of New York;
     3    (D)  the  task force's conclusion as to whether the currently undesig-
     4  nated garden meets the requirement for CEA designation; and
     5    (E) any other information the task force deems appropriate.
     6    (b) Upon completion of the assessment, the task force  shall,  to  the
     7  extent  possible,  provide  the  written  summaries of its findings to a
     8  member of each garden's leadership and, for the community  gardens  that
     9  are  currently undesignated and that meet the requirement for CEA desig-
    10  nation, provide the written summaries of its findings  to  the  agencies
    11  with jurisdiction over the gardens, along with a recommendation that the
    12  agencies designate the gardens as CEAs.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.