Bill Text: NY A04613 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates a task force on improving urban and rural access to locally produced, healthy foods; provides that such task force should identify strategies, opportunities and methods to expand such access; provides that such task force report to the governor and the legislature within one year after the section takes effect.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2021-12-22 - approval memo.98 [A04613 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A04613-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4613

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 4, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Agriculture

        AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the task
          force  on  improving  urban  and  rural  consumer  access  to  locally
          produced,  healthy  foods;  and  providing  for  the  repeal  of  such
          provisions upon expiration thereof

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
     2  section 28 to read as follows:
     3    § 28. Task force on improving  urban  and  rural  consumer  access  to
     4  locally  produced,  healthy  foods.  1. There is hereby created the task
     5  force on improving urban and rural consumer access to locally  produced,
     6  healthy foods. The task force is to be comprised of eleven members. Such
     7  task  force  shall  have  one  ex-officio  chairperson, who shall be the
     8  commissioner or his or her designee. Four members shall be appointed  by
     9  the  governor, two members shall be appointed by the temporary president
    10  of the senate, two members shall be appointed  by  the  speaker  of  the
    11  assembly,  one  member  shall be appointed by the minority leader of the
    12  senate and one member shall be appointed by the minority leader  of  the
    13  assembly.  The  appointed  members of such task force shall be represen-
    14  tative of:
    15    (a) a farm engaged in growing crops, livestock or livestock  products,
    16  as defined in section three hundred one of this chapter;
    17    (b)  not-for-profit  food  access organizations dedicated to expanding
    18  access of underserved, urban and rural communities to  healthy,  locally
    19  produced food;
    20    (c) the grocery industry; and
    21    (d)  economic  development agencies serving county, New York state and
    22  New York city government.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05096-01-1
        A. 4613                             2

     1    Any vacancy on such  task  force  shall  be  filled  by  the  original
     2  appointing  authority.  Task force members shall receive no compensation
     3  for their services but shall be  reimbursed  for  actual  and  necessary
     4  travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
     5    2.  The mission of the task force is to identify strategies and oppor-
     6  tunities to expand access for underserved, nutritionally deficient urban
     7  and rural communities to healthy, locally  produced  food  in  New  York
     8  state.  The  task  force  shall  develop and identify new and innovative
     9  methods to increase the production, marketing and distribution of local-
    10  ly produced, fresh food in such communities in New York state.
    11    3. Not later than one year after the effective date of  this  section,
    12  the  task  force shall report to the governor and the legislature on its
    13  activities, findings and recommendations.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
    15  deemed repealed December 31, 2025.