S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1261
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. COMRIE, BRISPORT -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Corporations,
   Authorities and Commissions
 
 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,  3 and 5 of section 16-w of section 1 of
 chapter 174 of the laws  of  1968  constituting  the  urban  development
 corporation  act,  subdivision  2  as  amended by section 1 of part W of
 chapter 58 of the laws of 2016 and subdivisions 3 and 5  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 CONSIDER  FARM  INCOME  AND  FARM
 INVESTMENTS AS NECESSARY TO ACCOMMODATE BEGINNING FARMERS REPORTING LESS
 THAN TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ANNUAL FARM INCOME.
   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

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03444-01-3
              

 S. 1261                             2
 
 be  eligible  for capital grants 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.     RECIPIENTS  OF   AWARDS   FOR
 CONSTRUCTION  OR  IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSICAL STRUCTURES ON LAND UNDER LEASE
 BY THE AWARD RECIPIENT, SHALL RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR OR RETAIN  OWNER-
 SHIP  OF SUCH STRUCTURES.  Any capital grant shall be issued with a one-
 to-one match between the state and recipient.
   5. The beginning farmers NY fund shall not invest  an  amount  in  any
 single  beneficiary  that  IS  LESS  THAN  ONE  THOUSAND DOLLARS OR THAT
 exceeds fifty thousand dollars, subject to any exceptions to  be  estab-
 lished  by  guidelines of the corporation.  THE CORPORATION SHALL ESTAB-
 LISH AWARD TIERS TO ACCOMMODATE AWARDS OF  LESS  THAN  FIFTEEN  THOUSAND
 DOLLARS.  AWARDS  OF FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR LESS SHALL BE AWARDED IN A
 SINGLE PAYMENT PRIOR TO PROJECT COMPLETION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next  succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.