STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7684
2001-2002 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 27, 2001
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, MAGEE, COOK, M. COHEN, KLEIN, MILLMAN --
Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BOYLAND, A. COHEN, CYMBROWITZ, DAVIS,
DESTITO, EVE, GORDON, GOTTFRIED, GREEN, GREENE, LAFAYETTE, LAVELLE,
LUSTER, McENENY, SEDDIO, SMITH, STRINGER, SWEENEY, TONKO, WEISENBERG
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the education law,
in relation to purchases of New York grown and produced farm products
by schools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 5-b to read as follows:
3 5-b. Establish, in cooperation with the commissioner of education, a
4 farm-to-school program to facilitate and promote the purchase of New
5 York farm products by schools, universities and other educational insti-
6 tutions under the jurisdiction of the education department. The depart-
7 ment shall solicit information from the education department regarding
8 school districts and other educational institutions interested in
9 purchasing New York farm products, including but not limited to, the
10 type and amount of such products schools wish to purchase and the name
11 of the appropriate contact person from the interested school district.
12 The department shall make this information readily available to inter-
13 ested New York farmers, farm organizations and businesses that market
14 New York farm products. The department shall provide information to the
15 education department and interested school districts and other educa-
16 tional institutions about the availability of New York farm products,
17 including but not limited to, the types and amount of products, and the
18 names and contact information of farmers, farm organizations and busi-
19 nesses marketing such products. The commissioner shall report to the
20 legislature on the need for changes in law to facilitate the purchases
21 of such products by schools and educational institutions.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10516-02-1
A. 7684 2
1 The department shall also coordinate with the education department,
2 and school food service, education, health and nutrition, farm, and
3 other interested organizations in establishing a promotional event, to
4 be known as New York Harvest For New York Kids Week, in early October
5 each year, that will promote New York agriculture and foods to children
6 through school meal programs and the classroom, at farms and farmers'
7 markets and other locations in the community.
8 § 2. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding a new
9 subdivision 31 to read as follows:
10 31. The commissioner shall cooperate with the commissioner of agricul-
11 ture and markets in establishing a farm-to-school program and coordinat-
12 ing New York Harvest For New York Kids Week as described in subdivision
13 five-b of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law. The
14 commissioner's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to,
15 compiling information for the department of agriculture and markets from
16 school districts and other educational institutions under the depart-
17 ment's jurisdiction interested in purchasing New York farm products and
18 disseminating to those districts and institutions information from the
19 department of agriculture and markets about the availability of New York
20 farm products, and contact information for farmers and other businesses
21 marketing such products. The commissioner shall report to the legisla-
22 ture about the need for changes in law to facilitate the purchase of
23 such products by schools and other institutions.
24 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
25 it shall have become a law, provided, however, that the commissioner of
26 agriculture and markets and the commissioner of education are authorized
27 to promulgate any and all rules and regulations necessary to implement
28 the provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.
