Bill Text: NY S03152 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to a community gardens task force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-06-09 - SUBSTITUTED BY A735 [S03152 Detail]
Download: New_York-2021-S03152-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3152--A 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 27, 2021 ___________ Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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 a commu- nity gardens task force The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 31-j of the agriculture and markets law, as added 2 by chapter 528 of the laws of 2013, paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 as 3 amended by chapter 272 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as 4 follows: 5 § 31-j. Community gardens task force. 1. The commissioner [may] shall 6 convene a community gardens task force to identify and develop ways to 7 encourage state agencies, municipalities and private parties to estab- 8 lish and expand community gardens and the activities conducted by such 9 gardens. 10 2. The task force shall be chaired by the commissioner, or by such 11 officer or employee of the department as shall be designated by the 12 commissioner. The membership of the task force may include represen- 13 tation from appropriate state agencies and members that represent exist- 14 ing community gardens, counties, cities, towns, villages, school 15 districts, other special use districts, public authorities and cooper- 16 ative extension services. Membership of the task force shall include at 17 least two representatives from organizations dedicated to the promotion, 18 expansion or protection of community gardens. 19 3. The commissioner, may request the assistance of state agencies to 20 carry out the work of the task force. 21 4. (a) The goals of the task force may include, but are not limited 22 to, the study, evaluation and development of recommendations: (i) to 23 encourage the establishment and expansion of community gardens by state EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04953-03-1S. 3152--A 2 1 agencies, municipal governments and private parties, (ii) to encourage 2 cooperation between the activities and operations of community gardens 3 and provision of donated food to local voluntary food assistance 4 programs for the poor and disadvantaged, (iii) to increase the benefits 5 that community gardens may provide to the local community in which they 6 are located, (iv) to encourage cooperation with community-based organ- 7 izations to increase the opportunities for seniors, those aged sixty 8 years of age or older, to participate in community gardens, [and] (v) to 9 encourage the expansion of the production of fresh fruits and vegetables 10 in areas served by community gardens so that such fresh produce can be 11 consumed locally to help encourage healthier life styles and wellness, 12 and to help reduce the incidence of adult and childhood obesity, (vi) to 13 develop after school programs that establish, maintain and expand commu- 14 nity gardens, and (vii) to encourage the development and expansion of 15 community gardens in food deserts as defined in section two hundred 16 sixty of this chapter. 17 (b) In achieving the goals of the task force, the task force may 18 consider recommendations that: (i) encourage the execution of conserva- 19 tion easements by state agencies, municipalities or private parties to 20 establish or protect community gardens, (ii) encourage the creation of 21 mechanisms to transfer development rights to protect community gardens 22 or encourage the donation or lease of lands for community gardens, (iii) 23 development of model zoning codes, local land use laws or other munici- 24 pal policies that could encourage the establishment or retention of 25 community gardens, and (iv) any other activity to achieve the goals 26 deemed appropriate by the task force according to the provisions of this 27 article. 28 5. The task force shall submit a report to the governor and the legis- 29 lature on or before January first, two thousand twenty-three and on or 30 before January first of each fifth year thereafter on the status of 31 community gardens in New York state. Such report shall include: 32 (a) the number, nature and geographic location of community gardens; 33 (b) a description of the costs, benefits and impacts of community 34 gardens; 35 (c) an assessment of the successes, failures and barriers in develop- 36 ing, maintaining and expanding community gardens; 37 (d) lists of funding sources available to develop and expand community 38 gardens along with the requirements for obtaining the funding; 39 (e) an assessment of the funding, requirements and barriers for double 40 the number of existing community gardens; 41 (f) a discussion of the goals outlined in subdivision four of this 42 section and a description of the steps and projects undertaken to meet 43 the goals for the task force as established in this section; 44 (g) an action plan for doubling the number of community gardens in the 45 state of New York; 46 (h) recommendations for developing, maintaining and expanding communi- 47 ty gardens in food deserts; and 48 (i) any other recommendations or assessments the task force deems 49 appropriate for the report. 50 Between report due dates, the commissioner shall maintain the neces- 51 sary records and data required to satisfy such report requirements and 52 to satisfy information requests received from the governor and the 53 legislature between such report due dates. 54 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.