Senator Volker Announces The Passage Of Farm Relief Legislation

(ALBANY, NY) Senator Dale M. Volker (R-C-I, Depew) announced today that The New York State Senate gave final legislative passage to legislation that would provide relief to farmers from the potential high costs and red tape imposed by a new state regulation.

The bill passed by the State Senate (S.3022) would exempt permanent farm buildings on working farms from the state's property maintenance code, which would subject barns and other farm structures to various new and unprecedented inspections. Agricultural buildings are already exempt from the state's building code, and the legislation simply extends that existing exemption to other agriculture-related buildings.

"The State Senate continues to be proactive in nurturing one of state’s most important economic components, that being our agricultural community," said Senator Volker. "Farm buildings are simply different from residential homes and commercial buildings, and should not be considered identical. By passing this legislation, we put in statute their inherent differences and allow our farm families the ability to better utilize their financial investments in their businesses were it is needed to remain financially viable."

The bill is supported by the Farm Bureau.

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