S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9248
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                May 7, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. HINCHEY -- (at request of the Department of Agricul-
   ture and Markets) -- 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
   beginning farmer advisory board on agriculture
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1. Section 309-a of the agriculture and markets law, as added
 by chapter 129 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
   § 309-a. [Young] BEGINNING farmer advisory board  on  agriculture.  1.
 There  shall  be established within the department the [young] BEGINNING
 farmer advisory board on agriculture, to advise and make recommendations
 to the state agencies on state government plans, policies  and  programs
 affecting agriculture, as outlined below, and in such areas as its expe-
 rience and studies may indicate to be appropriate. [The department shall
 provide necessary secretariat and support services to the board.]
   2.  The  [young]  BEGINNING farmer advisory board on agriculture shall
 consist of [twenty] TWENTY-FIVE members[, ten to  be  appointed  by  the
 governor,  with  the  advice  and  consent  of the senate and assembly,]
 selected for their experience and expertise related to  areas  of  board
 responsibility[. The board shall be] AND comprised of diverse members of
 the agriculture industry, INCLUDING THE COMMISSIONER, OR THE COMMISSION-
 ER'S DESIGNEE, WITH THE REMAINING MEMBERS SELECTED as follows:
   (a)  [Of] THE COMMISSIONER SHALL APPOINT the [twenty] FOLLOWING ELEVEN
 BOARD members [appointed to the board]:
   (1) one [shall be] REPRESENTATIVE from the [department;
   (2) one shall be from the] empire state development corporation;
   [(3)] (2) one [shall be an] officer of the Future Farmers  of  America
 (FFA);
   [(4)] (3) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR;
   (4) one [shall be an] urban farmer;
   (5)  one [shall be] REPRESENTATIVE from the New York Farm Bureau;[ and
   (6)  fifteen  shall  be  from the general public appointed as follows:
 five to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate,  five  to

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

                                                            LBD05979-03-4
 S. 9248                             2

 be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, and five to be appointed by
 the governor.]
   (6) ONE PARTICIPANT FROM THE CORNELL SMALL FARMS PROGRAM;
   (7)  ONE  REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUL-
 TURE;
   (8) ONE ORGANIC FARMER;
   (9) ONE VETERAN FARMER;
   (10) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE YOUNG FARMERS COALITION;
   (11) ONE MEMBER OF A GROUP IDENTIFIED IN THE MOST RECENT UNITED STATES
 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER-
 REPRESENTED IN FARM OWNERSHIP; AND
   (B) THE REMAINING THIRTEEN BOARD MEMBERS SHALL  BE  FROM  ENTRY  LEVEL
 FARMERS  OR NOVICE FARMERS, AGRICULTURE SERVICE PROVIDERS, FINANCIAL AND
 LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO FARM OPERATORS, CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
 REPRESENTATIVES, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVES, ACADEMICS, AGRI-
 CULTURAL LEADERS, AND/OR OTHERS WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE  WORK  OF  THE
 ADVISORY  BOARD  ON  ISSUES, INCLUDING, AMONG OTHERS: ACCESS TO LAND AND
 CAPITAL,  GRANTS,  BUSINESS  PLANNING,  FARM  PROCESSES  AND  GOVERNMENT
 PROGRAMS  SELECTED  AS FOLLOWS: SEVEN APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONER; TWO
 APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; TWO APPOINTED BY THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; ONE APPOINTED BY THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE
 SENATE; AND ONE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY.
   [(b)](C) Each member shall:
   (1)  be  interested in the preservation and development of agriculture
 and preservation of the agricultural way of life in New York;
   (2) be [under the age of forty-five years old at the beginning of  the
 member's  term]  ACTIVELY  INVOLVED IN FARMING, AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES,
 AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND/OR  PROVIDING  SERVICES  TO  THE  AGRICULTURAL
 COMMUNITY IN THE STATE;
   (3)  [derive  at  least  fifty percent of the member's personal income
 from farming or agricultural activities in the state;
   (4)] be a resident of the state; and
   [(5)] (4) be appointed for a term of three years and may  serve  until
 their  successors  are  chosen;  provided,  however, that of the members
 first appointed, [six] EIGHT shall serve for a term of one  year,  [six]
 EIGHT  shall  serve for a term of two years and [eight] NINE shall serve
 for a term of three years.
   [(c)] (D) Members shall serve without salary but shall be entitled  to
 reimbursement of their ordinary and necessary travel expenses.
   [(d)]  (E)  The  members  of  the board shall meet [quarterly] TWICE A
 YEAR.
   (F) THE COMMISSIONER, OR THE COMMISSIONER'S DESIGNEE, SHALL CHAIR  THE
 BOARD  AND  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SECRETARIAT AND
 SUPPORT SERVICES TO THE BOARD.
   3. The duties and responsibilities of  the  [young]  BEGINNING  farmer
 advisory board on agriculture shall include, but not be limited to:
   (a)  [annually  electing from its members a chairperson, a vice chair-
 person, and a secretary of the advisory board at  the  advisory  board's
 first meeting of the calendar year;
   (b)]  communicating  to  the [general] public, the federal government,
 and the state government the importance of [young and] beginning farmers
 to agriculture in the state;
   [(c) identify] (B) IDENTIFYING issues relating to [young  and]  begin-
 ning farmers in the state and provide timely advice to the commissioner,
 the  governor  and  the  relevant  state  agencies,  with  regard to the
 S. 9248                             3
 
 promotion of agriculture as a career path and the  economic  development
 of [young and aspiring] BEGINNING farmers;
   [(d)  produce  an  annual] (C) PRODUCING A BIENNIAL report and provide
 such report to the governor, the temporary president of the  senate  and
 the  speaker of the assembly on or before the end of each calendar year.
 Such report shall identify and prioritize  policy  issues  which  affect
 [young and aspiring] BEGINNING farmers; and
   [(e)  establish] (D) ESTABLISHING committees, as necessary, to develop
 projects relating to the aspects of life for [young and] beginning farm-
 ers in the state.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.