S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1305
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT in relation to directing  the  commissioner  of  agriculture  and
   markets  to  work  with  the  state's  land grant university system to
   produce a report to provide recommendations on the  state's  farm  and
   food  supply;  and to repeal certain provisions of the agriculture and
   markets law relating thereto
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 51 of section 16 of the agriculture and markets
 law,  as added by a chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the agriculture
 and markets law relating to establishing a New York food supply  working
 group,  as  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.  8561-A and A.
 10607-A, is REPEALED.
   § 2. (a) The commissioner of agriculture and markets, in  coordination
 with  the  commissioner  of  economic  development,  shall work with the
 state's land grant university system to  produce  a  report  to  provide
 advice,  guidance,  and  recommendations on improving the resiliency and
 self-reliance of the state's farm and food supply and the related supply
 chain logistics to address food shortages, food waste, and the inability
 to get New York farm goods to markets that occurred as a result  of  the
 COVID-19  pandemic, with the goal of creating permanent solutions beyond
 the state of emergency to reflect the  changing  wholesale,  retail  and
 consumer marketplace.
   (b)  The  commissioners  shall solicit the input of representatives of
 the entire food supply  chain  from  different  regions  of  the  state,
 including women, minority, small, and family-owned businesses and farms,
 of:
   (i) farmers, organic and conventional;
   (ii)  food  processors  including, but not limited to, dairy, produce,
 meat, and beverage processors;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07155-01-1

 S. 1305                             2
 
   (iii) retail food businesses including, but  not  limited  to,  retail
 food stores and direct farm-to-consumer businesses;
   (iv)  the food service industry including, but not limited to, restau-
 rants and institutional foodservice;
   (v) food wholesalers and distributors;
   (vi) food transporters including, but not limited  to,  direct-to-con-
 sumer transporters serving retail food stores, foodservice, and farmers;
   (vii) labor organizations and workers from the farm and food industry;
   (viii)  emergency  food  providers including, but not limited to, food
 banks;
   (ix) academic experts in  food  production,  marketing,  distribution,
 food safety, and consumers;
   (x)  local,  state  and  federal agencies with responsibility for food
 production, processing, marketing, and safety; and
   (xi) any other representatives  of  agriculture,  the  food  industry,
 economic  development,  or any other state agencies the commissioners of
 agriculture and markets and economic development deem necessary.
   (c) The commissioners shall hold on or before May first, two  thousand
 twenty-one,  a roundtable meeting of the representatives consulted under
 subdivision (b) of this section and may hold such additional  roundtable
 meetings  as  deemed necessary. The agenda and meeting information shall
 be made available to the public in advance and  such  meeting  shall  be
 open  to,  or accessible to, the public. Such meeting may include, among
 other things, consideration of the following issues, especially as  they
 relate to state or federal emergencies:
   (i)  the  need  to  strengthen the resiliency and self-reliance of the
 state's farm and food supply and  related  supply  chain  logistics,  to
 prevent  food shortages and food waste, and to overcome hurdles involved
 in getting farm products to markets and consumers; and
   (ii) the need for changes to, and development of, new state and feder-
 al laws, rules, policies, and programs to address,  and  provide  incen-
 tives for, the goal of strengthening and improving the state food supply
 in  a  manner  that  benefits  New York farms, food businesses, workers,
 retailers, restauranteurs, food banks, and consumers.
   (d) The commissioners shall provide a written report of  the  findings
 identifying  any proposed recommendations, feasibility and costs associ-
 ated with such recommendations, and guidance to the governor, the speak-
 er of the assembly, and the temporary president  of  the  senate  on  or
 before  December  first, two thousand twenty-one, and shall publish such
 report on the department of agriculture and market's website.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the  same  date  and  in  the  same
 manner  as  a chapter of the laws of 2020 relating to establishing a New
 York food supply working group, as proposed in legislative bills numbers
 S. 8561-A and A. 10607-A, takes effect.