Bill Text: NY A03317 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes the department of health to implement a community food security, empowerment and economic development program (SEED) to help meet the food needs of low-income people and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; provides grants for the cost of program projects which will be available to non-profit organizations and local governments, with limited partnership with for-profit enterprises; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to health [A03317 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A03317-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          3317
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 29, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. COOK, AUBRY, JAFFEE, GLICK, ORTIZ, D'URSO, WRIGHT
          --  Multi-Sponsored  by  -- M. of A. COLTON, GOTTFRIED, RIVERA -- read
          once and referred to the Committee on Health
        AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  creating  a  food
          security, empowerment and economic development program
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds there is  a  need
     2  for  community  economic development to improve the food system in areas
     3  where there is an inadequate food supply and many residents who rely  on
     4  fluctuating  government  and private food assistance. There is a need to
     5  develop food resources and businesses in these communities that  provide
     6  higher  quality,  more  accessible food. The legislature also finds that
     7  local farmers and food producers  can  and  should  benefit  from  these
     8  efforts.
     9    The  legislature  further finds that as the federal government and New
    10  York state attempt to reduce dependency on government, there is  a  need
    11  to  support families leaving public assistance for work. One approach to
    12  increasing work opportunities and addressing the  food  needs  in  these
    13  communities  is  through  the  development of "community food security",
    14  which is defined as people successfully obtaining an acceptable,  nutri-
    15  tious diet using local non-emergency sources.
    16    Community  food  security projects are designed to meet the food needs
    17  of low income people,  increase  the  self-reliance  of  communities  in
    18  providing  for their own food needs, and promote comprehensive responses
    19  to local food, farm and nutrition issues. For  example,  these  projects
    20  provide  training  in  urban  gardening  and sales, assist entrepreneurs
    21  starting  micro-enterprises,  support  farmers'  markets  in  distressed
    22  neighborhoods  and  provide  food-based  educational  opportunities  for
    23  schools.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07994-02-9
        A. 3317                             2
     1    The legislature supports the goals of  self-reliance,  community-based
     2  economic  development,  profitable local agriculture, improved nutrition
     3  and helping families and individuals  help  themselves.  Therefore,  the
     4  legislature finds that the creation of a community food security program
     5  for  New  York  state will benefit struggling working families and their
     6  communities, provide new markets for family farmers,  create  food-based
     7  jobs  and  small businesses, and ensure healthier citizens and neighbor-
     8  hoods.
     9    § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 27-FF to
    10  read as follows:
    11                                ARTICLE 27-FF
    12                          COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY,
    13                               EMPOWERMENT AND
    14                        ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
    15  Section 2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
    16                  ment program.
    17          2791. Grants to organizations.
    18          2792. Advisory council.
    19    § 2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic  development
    20  program.  The community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
    21  ment  program  is  established  within  the  department. Such program is
    22  established to  support  the  development  of  community  food  projects
    23  designed to meet the food needs of low-income people, increase the self-
    24  reliance  of  communities  in  providing  for  their  own food needs and
    25  promote comprehensive  responses  to  local  food,  farm  and  nutrition
    26  issues.  These  projects  will attempt to: increase the availability, in
    27  the targeted communities, of culturally acceptable,  affordable,  nutri-
    28  tionally  adequate  food,  from local sources whenever possible; develop
    29  linkages between local farmers and communities served  by  the  project;
    30  support  job  development  and  job  training, including work experience
    31  required by welfare reform; support the development  of  entrepreneurial
    32  enterprises;  promote  good  nutrition; encourage long-term planning and
    33  multi-agency involvement in the project; and,  include  community  resi-
    34  dents in decision-making.
    35    §  2791.  Grants  to organizations. The commissioner shall make grants
    36  for program projects, subject to the availability of funding, to  commu-
    37  nity-based  nonprofit  organizations  and local governments. In order to
    38  meet the goals of the program, applicants may create  partnerships  with
    39  other  entities,  including  limited  participation by for-profit enter-
    40  prises.
    41    Preference for these grants shall be  given  to  projects  located  in
    42  communities  with a significant percentage of the population participat-
    43  ing in government and private food assistance programs.
    44    Projects funded by these grants shall be designed to become  self-sus-
    45  taining, not dependent on continual grants from this program.
    46    §  2792. Advisory council. An advisory council shall be established to
    47  assist the commissioner in the development of the grant program  and  in
    48  reviewing applications for such grants. The council shall be composed of
    49  twelve  members  with expertise in community food security.  Six members
    50  shall be appointed by the governor, two members shall  be  appointed  by
    51  the temporary president of the senate, two members shall be appointed by
    52  the speaker of the assembly, one member shall be appointed by the minor-
    53  ity leader of the senate and one member shall be appointed by the minor-
    54  ity leader of the assembly. These members shall serve at the will of the
    55  appointing  authority.  The commissioners of the office of temporary and
        A. 3317                             3
     1  disability assistance, agriculture and markets and economic  development
     2  or their designees shall also participate in the advisory council.
     3    §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
     4  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.