§ 3900. Legislative findings and purposes. 1. The legislature hereby
finds, determines, and declares that promotion of the continued health
and safety of New York state's farming community continues to be an
unmet need. It further finds that agriculture is ranked as the most
dangerous occupation on a nationwide basis and that farmers and other
agricultural workers are injured and killed at a rate four times greater
than other workers in the country: in nineteen hundred eighty-five,
forty-five deaths and over four thousand farm-related injuries were
reported within New York state.

2. The provision of health and safety services unique to the
agricultural sector has been seen by many physicians as relatively
unattractive. As a consequence, the medical profession lacks specific
knowledge of, and expertise in, treating farm illnesses. While some
progress has been made to date in the area of farm health and safety,
more work is needed to address such specific concerns as traumatic
injury, hearing loss, and occupational cancer. Further efforts need to
be made to provide educational programs to improve awareness of
agricultural health concerns, and to enhance delivery of targeted
agricultural health services in the state.

3. It is vital that the state of New York develop a capability to
address the special health and safety needs of the state's farming
community. In order to facilitate a focus on agricultural medicine and
health, the legislature hereby determines that there is a need to create
a New York state center for agricultural medicine and health to operate
in conjunction with the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New
York.