S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  1744--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 14, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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 establish a youth development agriculture technology challenge

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  There is hereby established a youth  development  agricul-
 ture  technology  challenge  competition  ("challenge")  for students in
 elementary, secondary, and higher education.  Such  challenge  shall  be
 coordinated  by the department of agriculture and markets ("department")
 as part of the state fair in conjunction with Cornell cooperative exten-
 sion and other interested  partners,  including,  but  not  limited  to,
 institutions of higher education, school districts and boards of cooper-
 ative  education  services,  youth  agricultural organizations promoting
 leadership and career success in agriculture, and other  science,  tech-
 nology,   engineering   and   mathematics  and/or  robotics  competition
 programs. The department is authorized to utilize funds appropriated for
 the state fair and received pursuant to section 31-c of the  agriculture
 and  markets  law and to receive, accept and use gifts and donations for
 the purpose of this act which may  be  offered  notwithstanding  section
 eleven of the state finance law or any other provision of law. All money
 received  as  gifts  or  donations  shall be deposited in a special fund
 pursuant to  section  31-c  of  the  agriculture  and  markets  law  and
 disbursed  for  the  purposes of this act or paid to the commissioner of
 taxation and finance, who together with the state comptroller is  hereby
 constituted  and appointed the joint custodian thereof and shall consti-
 tute a special fund to be used under the direction of the department for
 the purposes of this act. The department, Cornell cooperative  extension
 and  other  participating  partners shall work together to establish the
 challenge to engage students to develop solutions to relevant technolog-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD01206-03-1

 S. 1744--A                          2
 
 ical problems and issues faced by farmers and food producers  including,
 but  not limited to, increasing food production, increasing energy effi-
 ciency and decreasing the cost  of  farming  and  food  production,  and
 addressing  the  impact  of farming on the environment and the impact of
 environmental changes such as climate change or pollinator loss on farm-
 ing. The department and its partners shall identify resources  including
 training  or coaching that will assist students in underserved rural and
 urban communities to participate in the  challenge,  and  develop  dead-
 lines, parameters including establishing elementary, secondary, or high-
 er  education categories, and relevant judging criteria for the projects
 submitted for the agriculture technology  challenge.  Subject  to  funds
 available  for  the  purposes  of this act prizes may be awarded for the
 winning submissions of the challenge.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.