Bill Text: NY S06453 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the food chain resiliency through community gardening grant program to expand, establish, or maintain community gardens for the purpose of strengthening the resiliency of local food supply chains.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE [S06453 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S06453-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          6453

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     April 20, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  GRIFFO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture

        AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation  to  estab-
          lishing  a  community gardening grant program to strengthen local food
          chain resiliency

          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 31-k to read as follows:
     3    § 31-k.  Food  chain  resiliency  through  community  gardening  grant
     4  program. 1.  Definition. For purposes of this section, "eligible entity"
     5  means  a  nonprofit  organization  and any city, county, town, township,
     6  village, or other general purpose political subdivision  of  the  state,
     7  excluding cities with a population of one million or more.
     8    2.  Food  chain  resiliency through community gardening grant program.
     9  There is hereby created within the department the food chain  resiliency
    10  through  community  gardening grant program. Subject to the availability
    11  of funds, the department shall award  grants  to  eligible  entities  to
    12  expand,  establish,  or  maintain  community  gardens for the purpose of
    13  strengthening the resiliency of local food supply chains.
    14    3. Eligible projects.  Projects  eligible  under  this  section  shall
    15  include, but not be limited to:
    16    (a)  the  establishment  of  a  community garden, the purpose of which
    17  shall be to support the needs of local food banks and food pantries;
    18    (b) a community garden established on land owned by an eligible  enti-
    19  ty;
    20    (c) re-granting to other organizations to support startups and capaci-
    21  ty building;
    22    (d) planning and consulting; and
    23    (e)  improvements  to  infrastructure related to food production, food
    24  storage, and food distribution areas.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08552-02-3
        S. 6453                             2

     1    4. Eligible costs. (a) Funding will be available through a competitive
     2  process  to  support  projects  that  focus  on  increased  local   food
     3  production  and  improved local food resiliency. Eligible grant expenses
     4  shall include, but are not limited to:
     5    (i)  equipment for food storage, including refrigerators, food storage
     6  bins, and shelves;
     7    (ii) equipment for food production and gardening, including costs  for
     8  the rental or purchase of garden equipment and tools;
     9    (iii)  operating  expenses including seeds, plants, pollinator plants,
    10  fencing, irrigation  supplies,  garden  maintenance  and  beautification
    11  projects;
    12    (iv) other capital improvements; and
    13    (v) costs associated with preparing an application.
    14    (b)  Eligible  entities  shall provide ten percent funding, leveraging
    15  ninety percent in state funds.  Grants  to  eligible  entities  may  not
    16  exceed  thirty  thousand  dollars, to be disbursed over a period of time
    17  not to exceed three  years,  after  which  eligible  entities  would  be
    18  required to re-apply for grant funding.
    19    5.  Application.  In  order  to receive a grant under this section, an
    20  eligible entity shall submit to the department an  application  at  such
    21  time,  in such manner, and containing such information as the department
    22  may require, including:
    23    (a) an assurance that priority for volunteers needed  for  the  expan-
    24  sion,  establishment, or maintenance of a community garden funded with a
    25  grant received under this section  will  be  given  to  individuals  who
    26  reside in the community where the garden is located; and
    27    (b) a demonstration that the eligible entity is committed to providing
    28  financial  or  in-kind  support  for  the community garden for which the
    29  entity receives funds under this section.
    30    § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    31  have become a law.