The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    952
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Agriculture
 
 AN ACT in relation to directing  the  commissioner  of  agriculture  and
   markets  to  work  with  the  state's  land grant university system to
   produce a report to provide recommendations on the  state's  farm  and
   food  supply;  and to repeal certain provisions of the agriculture and
   markets law relating thereto
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 51 of section 16 of the agriculture and markets
 law,  as added by a chapter of the laws of 2020 amending the agriculture
 and markets law relating to establishing a New York food supply  working
 group,  as  proposed  in  legislative  bills  numbers  S.  8561-A and A.
 10607-A, is REPEALED.
   § 2. (a) The commissioner of agriculture and markets, in  coordination
 with  the  commissioner  of  economic  development,  shall work with the
 state's land grant university system to  produce  a  report  to  provide
 advice,  guidance,  and  recommendations on improving the resiliency and
 self-reliance of the state's farm and food supply and the related supply
 chain logistics to address food shortages, food waste, and the inability
 to get New York farm goods to markets that occurred as a result  of  the
 COVID-19  pandemic, with the goal of creating permanent solutions beyond
 the state of emergency to reflect the  changing  wholesale,  retail  and
 consumer marketplace.
   (b)  The  commissioners  shall solicit the input of representatives of
 the entire food supply  chain  from  different  regions  of  the  state,
 including women, minority, small, and family-owned businesses and farms,
 of:
   (i) farmers, organic and conventional;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD07155-01-1

 A. 952                              2
 
   (ii)  food  processors  including, but not limited to, dairy, produce,
 meat, and beverage processors;
   (iii)  retail  food  businesses  including, but not limited to, retail
 food stores and direct farm-to-consumer businesses;
   (iv) the food service industry including, but not limited to,  restau-
 rants and institutional foodservice;
   (v) food wholesalers and distributors;
   (vi)  food  transporters including, but not limited to, direct-to-con-
 sumer transporters serving retail food stores, foodservice, and farmers;
   (vii) labor organizations and workers from the farm and food industry;
   (viii) emergency food providers including, but not  limited  to,  food
 banks;
   (ix)  academic  experts  in  food production, marketing, distribution,
 food safety, and consumers;
   (x) local, state and federal agencies  with  responsibility  for  food
 production, processing, marketing, and safety; and
   (xi)  any  other  representatives  of  agriculture, the food industry,
 economic development, or any other state agencies the  commissioners  of
 agriculture and markets and economic development deem necessary.
   (c)  The commissioners shall hold on or before May first, two thousand
 twenty-one, a roundtable meeting of the representatives consulted  under
 subdivision  (b) of this section and may hold such additional roundtable
 meetings as deemed necessary. The agenda and meeting  information  shall
 be  made  available  to  the public in advance and such meeting shall be
 open to, or accessible to, the public. Such meeting may  include,  among
 other  things, consideration of the following issues, especially as they
 relate to state or federal emergencies:
   (i) the need to strengthen the resiliency  and  self-reliance  of  the
 state's  farm  and  food  supply  and related supply chain logistics, to
 prevent food shortages and food waste, and to overcome hurdles  involved
 in getting farm products to markets and consumers; and
   (ii) the need for changes to, and development of, new state and feder-
 al  laws,  rules,  policies, and programs to address, and provide incen-
 tives for, the goal of strengthening and improving the state food supply
 in a manner that benefits New  York  farms,  food  businesses,  workers,
 retailers, restauranteurs, food banks, and consumers.
   (d)  The  commissioners shall provide a written report of the findings
 identifying any proposed recommendations, feasibility and costs  associ-
 ated with such recommendations, and guidance to the governor, the speak-
 er  of  the  assembly,  and  the temporary president of the senate on or
 before December first, two thousand twenty-one, and shall  publish  such
 report on the department of agriculture and market's website.
   §  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws of 2020 relating to establishing  a  New
 York food supply working group, as proposed in legislative bills numbers
 S. 8561-A and A. 10607-A, takes effect.