S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1330
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ, CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Economic Development
 
 AN ACT in relation to requiring the Empire State development corporation
   in consultation with the department of agriculture and markets and the
   office of new Americans to study the economic impact of optimizing and
   creating kitchen incubators in New York state
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative intent.  The legislature hereby finds  that  in
 order  to improve the economic opportunities for its citizens and entre-
 preneurs, New York state must use and expand its capabilities  to  offer
 space  and  resources to the next generation of food manufacturing busi-
 nesses.
   It has been documented that the chief obstacle for start-up food manu-
 facturing businesses is their inability to access affordable  commercial
 kitchen space. Currently, in New York state, there are only a few kitch-
 en  incubators,  which face high demand and are unable to meet the needs
 of the many potential start-up businesses.
   Kitchen incubators are valuable resources for New York state  in  it's
 efforts to promote new jobs, business and increased tax revenues.
   In  New York city alone, there are more than 900 food firms, with over
 16,000 employees and another 2,500 who are self-employed, making  entre-
 preneurs'  intent on developing their food manufacturing ideas into full
 scale functional business business evident.
   Minority and immigrant populations are growing significantly  through-
 out the state and so is their involvement in entrepreneurship, including
 production  of  foods  from their place of origin, which creates growing
 demand for such foods. This directly  benefits  minority  and  immigrant
 communities.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03860-01-5
 A. 1330                             2
 
              

   Increased  capacity  for  kitchen incubators throughout New York state
 will help new entrepreneurs succeed and increase the  economic  benefits
 for the entire state.
   New York must do more to propel these business start-ups and potential
 manufacturers  into  full scale operations, and should move to allow its
 university systems to expand their regional economic catalyst activities
 to serve entrepreneurs looking to enter the food manufacturing sector.
   § 2. For purposes of this act, the term "kitchen incubator" shall mean
 a food preparation facility that provides kitchen space  and  access  to
 commercial  grade  equipment  to  prepare  food  at  a  shared or leased
 location.
   § 3. a. Using available appropriations, the Empire  State  Development
 Corporation,  in  consultation  with  the  department of agriculture and
 markets and the office of new Americans  shall  study  and  examine  the
 potential  economic impact for optimizing kitchen incubators in New York
 state, including establishing and/or  expanding  such  opportunities  at
 public  or  private locations with appropriate kitchen preparation space
 for a kitchen incubator that the corporation may identify.
   b. The study conducted pursuant to this  section  shall  evaluate  the
 impact  of  such  optimization  on  entrepreneurship  efforts in growing
 women, minority and immigrant populations.
   c. The Empire  State  Development  Corporation  shall  work  with  the
 department of agriculture and markets and the office of new Americans to
 convene a group of stakeholders to provide further insight into optimiz-
 ing  and  expanding  kitchen incubators and entrepreneurship efforts for
 women, minority, and immigrant populations in New York state.
   d. The Empire State Development  Corporation  shall  create  a  report
 containing  recommendations  for the creation, funding and future expan-
 sion of kitchen incubators throughout the state, and  increasing  entre-
 preneurial  success in the culinary industry, by providing comprehensive
 advisory and business development services along with access to  facili-
 ties  and  equipment  in  a  co-working  shared environment conducive to
 collaboration, networking, mentorship, and food safety education.
   e. The report compiled by the  Empire  State  Development  Corporation
 pursuant  to  subdivision  d  of  this section shall be submitted to the
 governor and the legislature not later than one year after the effective
 date of this act.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.