Bill Text: NY S01904 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and markets to create an annual award to recognize students involved in a farm-to-school program or school garden; students can be nominated by their school's principal or teachers.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S01904 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S01904-Amended.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1904--A
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 11, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee  on  Education  --  committee
          discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
          to said committee
        AN  ACT  to  authorize  the  commissioner  of agriculture and markets to
          create an annual award to recognize students involved  in  a  farm-to-
          school program or school garden
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The commissioner  of  agriculture  and  markets  is  hereby
     2  authorized  and  directed  to create an award to be presented every year
     3  hereafter at the state fair in recognition of student body  that,  as  a
     4  group,  contributed to the success of a farm-to-school program or school
     5  garden at their school. The  commissioner  of  agriculture  and  markets
     6  shall  be  authorized to provide funds for this award only to the extent
     7  that an appropriation is available for this act's specific purpose.
     8    § 2. (a) Candidates can be nominated by their  school's  principal  or
     9  teachers.  The  commissioner of agriculture and markets is instructed to
    10  seek candidates with at least the qualities prescribed in this  section,
    11  though additional criteria not prescribed here may be used when evaluat-
    12  ing candidates. With respect to their school's farm-to-school program or
    13  school garden candidates should;
    14    (i) demonstrate commitment and leadership;
    15    (ii)  progressively  inspire  a  greater  proportion of their school's
    16  student body to become involved;
    17    (iii) collaborate with colleagues, students, and their community; and
    18    (iv) create a meaningful and functional program for their school.
    19    (b) For each quality  listed  in  subdivision  (a)  of  this  section,
    20  specific  examples and data shall be provided on behalf of each group of
    21  candidates; however, primarily  quantitative  responses  should  not  be
    22  favored   where   quantitative  data  obscures  qualitative  information
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07033-05-7
        S. 1904--A                          2
     1  concerning the students' experiences. Applications must demonstrate that
     2  the relevant program or garden was primarily driven  by  the  creativity
     3  and initiative of the student body participating in the program. Special
     4  consideration  should  be given to those candidates that integrate local
     5  or regional agricultural products of any kind in to the classroom, cafe-
     6  teria, and curriculum, or that have  founded  school  gardens  or  mini-
     7  farms.
     8    §  3.  Awards  shall  consist  of a credit against any fees or tuition
     9  charged during an awardee's first semester of enrollment in any part  of
    10  SUNY  or  CUNY, if such enrollment occurs, given in equal dollar amounts
    11  to each student individually named in the nomination documentation.
    12    § 4. Awards shall be given each year at the New  York  state  fair  in
    13  consultation  with the state fair's agriculture department, the director
    14  of the state fair and the commissioner of education.    The  first  such
    15  award will be granted in the year following the year of enactment.
    16    § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.