S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    617
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to  natural
   fiber textile development
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Section 226 of the agriculture and markets law, as added by
 a chapter of the laws of 2022 amending the economic development law, the
 state finance law and the agriculture and markets law relating to enact-
 ing the New York textile act, as proposed in legislative  bills  numbers
 S. 8741-A and A. 9649-A, is amended to read as follows:
   §  226.  Natural  fiber  textile development [council] WORKGROUP.   1.
 There is hereby  established  within  the  department  a  natural  fiber
 textile development [council.  Such council shall consist of the commis-
 sioner,  the  commissioner  of economic development, or their designees,
 and ten other persons to be appointed by  the  governor,  including  two
 members  on the recommendation of the temporary president of the senate;
 two members on the recommendation of the speaker of  the  assembly;  one
 member  on  the recommendation of the minority leader of the senate; and
 one member on the recommendation of the minority leader of the assembly.
 Of the members so appointed, at least one member shall be a producer  of
 animal-based  fibers, one shall be a producer of plant-based fibers, one
 shall be a representative of a statewide agricultural organization,  one
 shall  be  a  representative  of a regional or statewide organization of
 animal or plant fiber producers, two shall be representatives  of  fiber
 and textile manufacturers which is defined as a fiber processor or spin-
 ning  mill, a knitting mill, a weaving studio, or wet finishing (dyeing,
 printing or fabric finishing), two  shall  be  from  designers/producers
 which is defined as including apparel, home textile products, industrial
 textiles  and  healthcare  products, one shall be a representative of an
 academic institution offering textile or design education, and one shall

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04143-01-3
              

 A. 617                              2

 be a representative of an academic institution offering  fiber-producing
 livestock  education.  Members  shall  be  appointed for a term of three
 years and may serve until their successors are chosen, provided,  howev-
 er, that of the members first appointed, three shall serve for a term of
 one  year,  three  shall  serve  for a term of two years, and four shall
 serve for a term of three years. The governor shall select a  member  of
 the  council  to serve as chairperson. Council members shall not receive
 compensation for their services, but may be paid their actual and neces-
 sary expenses incurred in serving upon the council.
   2. The council shall work with natural  fiber  producers  and  textile
 manufacturers  to  increase  the  economic  contributions and employment
 opportunities related to animal and plant fiber agriculture and  textile
 manufacturing  in  New  York  state.  The council shall give priority to
 increasing private investment in, and utilization  of,  New  York  state
 produced and processed natural fibers in all categories of textile manu-
 facturing including apparel, home textile products, industrial textiles,
 and health care products. The council shall also prioritize coordinating
 policy  with state agencies, academia and the private sector; working to
 improve public understanding  of  and  appreciation  for  natural  fiber
 textiles;  and  increasing  export and market opportunities for New York
 produced natural fiber textiles. The council  shall  deliver  an  annual
 report  outlining  its  work  and  making recommendations with regard to
 economic development and marketing initiatives and research and develop-
 ment initiatives consistent with the purposes of the council. The report
 shall be delivered to the governor, the speaker  of  the  assembly,  the
 temporary  president  of the senate, the minority leader of the assembly
 and the minority leader of the senate.
   3. The department shall provide  necessary  support  services  to  the
 council, including, within funds available, the appointment of an execu-
 tive  director  to  coordinate  the  work of the council] WORKGROUP. THE
 COMMISSIONER, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF ECONOMIC  DEVELOP-
 MENT SHALL CONVENE AN ANNUAL WORKGROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS WHICH MAY INCLUDE
 BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO  A  PRODUCER OF ANIMAL-BASED FIBERS, A PRODUCER OF
 PLANT-BASED FIBERS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF A STATEWIDE AGRICULTURAL  ORGAN-
 IZATION,  A  REPRESENTATIVE  OF  A REGIONAL OR STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION OF
 ANIMAL OR PLANT FIBER PRODUCERS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF FIBER  AND  TEXTILE
 MANUFACTURERS  WHICH IS DEFINED AS A FIBER PROCESSOR OR SPINNING MILL, A
 KNITTING MILL, A WEAVING STUDIO, OR WET FINISHING (DYEING,  PRINTING  OR
 FABRIC  FINISHING),  A  REPRESENTATIVE FROM DESIGNERS/PRODUCERS WHICH IS
 DEFINED AS INCLUDING APPAREL, HOME TEXTILE PRODUCTS, INDUSTRIAL TEXTILES
 AND HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS, AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION
 OFFERING TEXTILE OR DESIGN EDUCATION, AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ACADEM-
 IC INSTITUTION OFFERING FIBER-PRODUCING LIVESTOCK EDUCATION. THIS  WORK-
 GROUP SHALL STUDY AND IDENTIFY METHODS TO, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (A)  INCREASE  THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
 RELATED TO ANIMAL AND PLANT FIBER AGRICULTURE AND TEXTILE  MANUFACTURING
 IN NEW YORK STATE;
   (B) INCREASE PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN, AND UTILIZATION OF, NEW YORK STATE
 PRODUCED  AND  PROCESSED  NATURAL  FIBERS  IN ALL CATEGORIES OF TEXTILE:
 MANUFACTURING  INCLUDING  APPAREL,  HOME  TEXTILE  PRODUCTS,  INDUSTRIAL
 TEXTILES, AND HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS;
   (C) IMPROVE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF AND APPRECIATION FOR NATURAL FIBER
 TEXTILES; AND
   (D)  INCREASE  EXPORT  AND  MARKET OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW YORK PRODUCED
 NATURAL FIBER TEXTILES.
 A. 617                              3
 
   2. THE WORKGROUP SHALL SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COMMISSIONER, THE
 COMMISSIONER OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE SPEAKER OF THE  ASSEMBLY,  THE
 TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF THE SENATE, THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY
 AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE WITHIN ONE YEAR OF  THE  EFFECTIVE
 DATE OF THIS SECTION AND EVERY TWO YEARS THEREAFTER.
   §  2.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2022 amending the  economic  develop-
 ment  law,  the  state  finance  law and the agriculture and markets law
 relating to enacting the New York textile act, as proposed  in  legisla-
 tive bills numbers S. 8741-A and A. 9649-A, takes effect.