S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10663
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 17, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Tague) --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to preserv-
   ing premium reimbursement eligibility for fairs and expositions  which
   are unable to have events due to the outbreak of COVID-19

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 286 of the agriculture and markets
 law, as amended by chapter 600 of the laws of 2019, is amended  to  read
 as follows:
   1.  (A)  There  shall  be appropriated annually for the department [of
 agriculture and markets] an amount of money sufficient to pay and satis-
 fy the reimbursement moneys herein specified and which  money  shall  be
 disbursed  by  the commissioner on behalf of the state for the promotion
 of agriculture and domestic arts, to duly incorporated  agricultural  or
 horticultural  corporations  as defined in section fourteen hundred nine
 of the not-for-profit corporation  law,  the  county  extension  service
 association  in the county of Orange, the American institute in the city
 of New York, the Goshen Historic Track, Inc., the Genesee Valley  Breed-
 ers'  Association,  Inc.  and  county  extension service associations in
 proportion to the actual premiums paid during the previous year  includ-
 ing  premiums paid for trials or tests of speed and endurance of harness
 horses.
   (B) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE
 ANNUAL  APPROPRIATION MADE FOR THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE--TWO THOUSAND
 TWENTY-TWO STATE FISCAL YEAR FOR  THE  DEPARTMENT  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF
 PAYING AND SATISFYING REIMBURSEMENT MONEYS SHALL BE IN PROPORTION TO THE
 ACTUAL PREMIUMS PAID DURING TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN.
   §  2.  Subdivision 2 of section 286 of the agriculture and markets law
 is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
   (D) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO  THE  CONTRARY,  ALL
 ORGANIZATIONS  OTHERWISE  ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE MONEYS APPROPRIATED BY THE
 STATE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPHS (A) AND (B) OF THIS SUBDIVISION  SHALL  NOT
 BE  DEEMED  INELIGIBLE FOR PREMIUM REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE OF A FAILURE TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16555-03-0

 A. 10663                            2
 
 HOLD A FAIR OR EXPOSITION DURING THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR DUE  TO  THE
 COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
   §  3. Subdivision 4 of section 286 of the agriculture and markets law,
 as amended by chapter 600 of the laws of 2019, is  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   4.  Any organization that shall fail or neglect to hold an annual fair
 or exposition and file its annual  report  for  two  consecutive  years,
 shall forfeit any privileges or money to which it may otherwise be enti-
 tled pursuant to the provisions of this article. In computing such peri-
 od  of  two  consecutive  years,  no year shall be counted in which such
 failure was deemed by the commissioner to be attributable to a cause  or
 condition  with  respect  to  which the organization or its directors or
 officers had no control, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  THE  OUTBREAK  OF
 NOVEL  CORONAVIRUS,  COVID-19, or for any other reason which the commis-
 sioner deems justified.
   § 4. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any  moneys
 appropriated  in the state fiscal year 2020-2021 pursuant to section 286
 of the agriculture and markets law which have not been  disbursed  shall
 be  reappropriated  for  the  same  purpose  in  the  state  fiscal year
 2021-2022.
   § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.