New Jersey-2022-S3326-Introduced

An Act requiring the Rutgers Cooperative Extension to establish an internship pilot program at certain farms, and making an appropriation.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. Not more than 180 days after the effective date of this act, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension shall establish an internship pilot program to provide working interns to farms in the State. The pilot program shall operate for two years, and the cooperative extension shall develop application, selection, stipend distribution, and evaluation processes, consistent with the provisions of this section, in order to implement the pilot program.

b. In order to be eligible to participate as an intern in a farming internship pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, a person shall:

(1) be a student over the age of 18 at a high school, vocational school, or institution of higher education, including a graduate student;

(2) submit an application to the cooperative extension in a form and manner prescribed by the cooperative extension; and

(3) enter into a written agreement with the cooperative extension and a farming internship provider approved pursuant to subsection c. of this section, which specifies the terms and conditions of the internship pilot program and describes the content of the learning objectives developed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection e. of this section.

c. In order to be eligible to participate as a farming internship provider in a farming internship pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the owner of a farm shall:

(1) submit an application to the cooperative extension in a form and manner prescribed by the cooperative extension;

(2) agree not to receive any financial or other compensation, other than the labor of the intern, for participating as a farming internship provider in the pilot program; and

(3) enter into a written agreement with the cooperative extension and an intern approved pursuant to subsection b. of this section, which specifies the terms and conditions of the internship and describes the content of the learning objectives developed pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection e. of this section.

d. The cooperative extension shall approve or reject applications received pursuant to subsections b. and c. of this section, and shall assign interns approved pursuant to subsection b. of this section to work for farming internship providers approved pursuant to subsection c. of this section. A farming internship provider shall not be assigned more than 10 interns per year.

e. The cooperative extension shall develop appropriate terms and conditions for a farming internship commenced under the pilot program, which terms and conditions shall:

(1) identify the expected duration of the internship;

(2) provide the expected schedule and working hours of the intern, which shall not exceed 40 hours per week;

(3) clearly state the hourly wage or other compensation structure for the intern, which compensation shall be paid by the cooperative extension in a manner consistent with all applicable State and federal laws; and

(4) include a list of learning objectives, which enumerates the knowledge and skills that are to be transmitted to each approved intern by each approved farming internship provider, or by a designated employee thereof, which knowledge and skills may include, but need not be limited to:

(a) planting, caring for, or harvesting agricultural crops;

(b) rearing, breeding, or slaughtering farm animals;

(d) operating or maintaining agricultural vehicles and machinery;

(e) increasing the sustainability of, or mitigating pollution from, agricultural operations; and

(f) producing, marketing, and selling agricultural products.

f. (1) The Department of Agriculture shall distribute the funds appropriated by section 2 of this act to the cooperative extension in order to fund the internship pilot program established and implemented pursuant to this section. The funds shall be annually distributed, and shall not exceed the expected compensation to be paid to approved interns in the year in which the funds are distributed, plus seven percent, which additional seven percent shall be used by the cooperative extension to administer and market the pilot program.

(2) The department may audit, or cause to be audited, the cooperative extension in order to determine compliance with the provisions of this section.

g. No later than six months after the completion of the second year of the pilot program established pursuant to subsection a. of this section, the Department of Agriculture shall submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, a report on the pilot program established pursuant to this act. The cooperative extension shall, upon request, provide information to the department as may be necessary for the development of the report. The report shall include an account of all State funds distributed pursuant to this act, a summary of the pilot program implemented by the cooperative extension, and an assessment of the success of the pilot program in cultivating an interest in agriculture among students in the State.

2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture the amount of $2.1 million, in order to implement the provisions of section 1 of this act.

3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the submission by the Department of Agriculture of the report required pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill would require the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (cooperative extension) to establish a two-year summer internship pilot program to provide working interns to farms in the State.

The internships would be open to students at high schools, vocational schools, and institutions of higher education, including graduate students. The cooperative extension would be required to develop an application process to allow interested students and farm owners to apply to participate in the pilot program. In order to participate, a farm owner would be required to agree to terms and conditions developed by the cooperative extension, which would include a description of the knowledge and skills to be transmitted by the farm's owner, or a designated employee, to the intern. Other than the labor of the intern, the owner of the farm would not receive any financial compensation for participating in the pilot program. Each eligible farm would be authorized to host up to 10 interns per year.

The bill would appropriate $2.1 million from the General Fund to the Department of Agriculture to fund the pilot programs established by the bill. The bill would require the Department of Agriculture to distribute the funds to the cooperative extension in order to fund the internship pilot program established by the bill. Up to seven percent of the funds would be authorized to be used by the cooperative extension for administration and marketing costs.

Finally, the bill would require the Department of Agriculture to submit a report on the pilot program, within six months after its conclusion, to the Governor and the Legislature. The report would be required to provide an account of all State funds distributed pursuant to the bill, a summary of the pilot program implemented by each the cooperative extension, and an assessment of the success in the program in cultivating an interest in agriculture in students in the State.