S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8073
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 11, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Economic Development
 
 AN ACT to amend the urban development corporation act,  in  relation  to
   the beginning farmers NY fund
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 16-w of section 1 of  chap-
 ter  174  of the laws of 1968, constituting the urban development corpo-
 ration act, subdivision 2 as amended by section 1 of part W  of  chapter
 58  of  the  laws  of 2016, and subdivision 3 as amended by section 1 of
 part FF of chapter 58 of the laws  of  2015,  are  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   2.  The  corporation  shall consult with the department of agriculture
 and markets in order to establish such criteria governing the  award  of
 grants as authorized herein, as the corporation and such department deem
 necessary.  Such  criteria shall include, but not be limited to, farmers
 who have not produced an "agricultural product" as  defined  by  section
 three  hundred twenty-eight of the agriculture and markets law, for more
 than ten consecutive years, and who will  materially  and  substantially
 participate in the production of an agricultural product within a region
 of  the state.  SUCH CRITERIA SHALL ALSO INCLUDE PRIORITY FOR APPLICANTS
 WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OR  WHO  ARE  SOCIALLY  DISADVANTAGED
 FARMERS OR RANCHERS AS DEFINED BY 7 U.S.C. §2279(A).
   3. Appropriations to the beginning farmers NY fund may be used for the
 following purposes:
   (a)  to  assist farmers in demonstrating innovative agricultural tech-
 niques including, but not limited  to,  organic  farming  and  specialty
 crops.
   (b)  capital grants in accordance with a business plan to improve farm
 profitability. Upon completion of such business plan,  recipients  shall
 be  eligible  for  capital grants OF NOT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD10581-01-1

 A. 8073                             2
 
 AND NOT MORE THAN FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS to enhance the profitability of
 farming operations, INCLUDING ON LAND UNDER LEASE BY THE RECIPIENT. Such
 grants may be used for purposes  including,  but  not  limited  to,  the
 purchase  of  machinery  or  the construction or improvement of physical
 structures, INCLUDING SEMI-PERMANENT  STRUCTURES.    Any  capital  grant
 shall be issued with a one-to-one match between the state and recipient.
   §  2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.