Bill Text: NY A09288 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to the beginning farmer revolving loan program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-13)
Status: (Vetoed) 2014-11-21 - tabled [A09288 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A09288-Amended.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 9288--A I N A S S E M B L Y April 8, 2014 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAGEE, CROUCH, FINCH, GUNTHER, HAWLEY, OTIS, ROSENTHAL, RUSSELL, SKOUFIS, STIRPE, JAFFEE, MAGNARELLI, MONTESANO, PEOPLES-STOKES, TITONE, BRONSON -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, BUTLER, CAMARA, CERETTO, COOK, DUPREY, GOTTFRIED, KEARNS, LUPARDO, LUPINACCI, McLAUGHLIN, ROBINSON, SIMANOWITZ, THIELE, WEISEN- BERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to the beginning farmer revolving loan fund program THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. Section 328 of the agriculture and markets law is amended 2 by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows: 3 5. "BEGINNING FARMER" SHALL MEAN A FARMER WHO HAS NOT PRODUCED AN 4 "AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT" AS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION, FOR MORE THAN TEN 5 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, AND WHO WILL MATERIALLY AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARTICIPATE 6 IN THE PRODUCTION OF AN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT WITHIN A REGION OF THE 7 STATE. 8 S 2. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new 9 section 330-a to read as follows: 10 S 330-A. BEGINNING FARMER REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM. 1. THE COMMISSIONER 11 SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A BEGINNING FARMER REVOLVING LOAN PROGRAM 12 TO PROVIDE LOW INTEREST LOANS TO BEGINNING FARMERS FOR THE PURPOSES OF 13 SUPPORTING BEGINNING FARMERS, ENCOURAGING THE GROWTH OF SMALL AGRIBUSI- 14 NESS, PRESERVING FARMLAND AS A WORKING AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE, AND 15 PROVIDING OPEN SPACE BENEFITS FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE STATE. PROPERLY 16 MANAGED FARMLAND HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED TO BE THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL 17 USAGE OF LAND FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION, SO IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF 18 THE STATE TO MAINTAIN AGRICULTURAL LAND. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL, FROM ANY 19 APPROPRIATION MADE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PURPOSE, PROVIDE LOW INTEREST 20 LOANS TO BEGINNING FARMERS AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEEM TO BE ELIGIBLE 21 PURSUANT TO RULE OR REGULATION. EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13525-02-4 A. 9288--A 2 1 2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE 2 PURPOSE OF CARRYING OUT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING ESTAB- 3 LISHING: 4 A. AN APPLICATION PROCESS WHEREBY BEGINNING FARMERS MAY APPLY FOR 5 LOANS; 6 B. CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING A BEGINNING FARMER'S ELIGI- 7 BILITY FOR A LOAN; 8 C. CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING THE PRIORITY TO BE GRANTED 9 AMONG BEGINNING FARMER APPLICANTS; 10 D. CRITERIA AND STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING THE AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL 11 ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED TO A BEGINNING FARMER; AND 12 E. CRITERIA AND STANDARDS TO BE USED IN DETERMINING THE LOAN REPAYMENT 13 PERIODS AND THE TERMS OF ANY REPAYMENT AGREEMENT. 14 S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding 15 the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that 16 any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this 17 act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before such 18 date.