STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7925 IN SENATE March 3, 2020 ___________ Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- 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 farm-to-school task force; and to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all public schools to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports local agriculture The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5-b of section 16 of the agriculture and 2 markets law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows: 3 (d) Establish a task force to study and make recommendations on how to 4 provide fresh foods in all school districts in the state while support- 5 ing New York local agriculture. Such task force shall be composed of 6 nine members who shall possess expertise in issues relating to the work 7 of the task force. Two members shall be appointed by the governor, two 8 members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly, two members 9 shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate, one member 10 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly, one member 11 shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate and one member 12 shall be the commissioner or his or her designee. The commissioner or 13 his or her designee shall serve as chairperson of the task force. 14 Members of the task force shall be appointed no later than one hundred 15 twenty days after the effective date of this paragraph. Vacancies shall 16 be filled within thirty days in the same manner provided for original 17 appointments. No later than one year after all initial appointments have 18 been made the task force shall make a report to the governor, the legis- 19 lature and the commissioner of education of its findings, conclusions 20 and recommendations. 21 § 2. Subdivision 31 of section 305 of the education law, as added by 22 chapter 2 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows: 23 31. The commissioner shall cooperate with the commissioner of agricul- 24 ture and markets in establishing a farm-to-school program and coordinat- 25 ing New York Harvest For New York Kids Week as described in subdivision 26 five-b of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law. The EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14389-03-0S. 7925 2 1 commissioner's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, 2 developing a program based on the findings of the task force established 3 pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision five-b of section sixteen of 4 the agriculture and markets law, to require all school districts in the 5 state to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports New 6 York local agriculture, compiling information for the department of 7 agriculture and markets from school districts and other educational 8 institutions under the department's jurisdiction interested in purchas- 9 ing New York farm products and disseminating to those districts and 10 institutions information from the department of agriculture and markets 11 about the availability of New York farm products, and contact informa- 12 tion for farmers and other businesses marketing such products. The 13 commissioner shall report to the legislature about the need for changes 14 in law to facilitate the purchase of such products by schools and other 15 institutions. 16 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 17 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.