The New York State Senate

 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1979
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic  Devel-
   opment and Small Business
 
 AN ACT in relation to requiring the Empire State development corporation
   in  consultation  with  the  state  university  of  New York, the city
   university of New York, public housing authorities and the  commission
   on  independent colleges and universities to study the economic impact
   of optimizing kitchen incubators in New York state
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Legislative intent.  The legislature hereby finds that in
 order to improve the economic opportunities for its citizens and  entre-
 preneurs,  it  must  use  the established capabilities of its university
 systems and our public housing authorities to offer space and  resources
 to the next generation of food manufacturing businesses.
   It has been documented that the chief obstacle for start-up food manu-
 facturing  businesses is their inability to access affordable commercial
 kitchen space. Currently all over the state, there are only a few kitch-
 en incubators facing high demand and unable to meet  the  needs  of  the
 many potential start-up businesses.
   Kitchen  incubators  are  valuable  resources for New York state as it
 moves  to  promote  more  job  development,  business  development   and
 increased tax revenues.
   In  New York city alone, there are more than 900 food firms, with over
 16,000 employees and another 2,500 who are self-employed. This has  been
 viewed  as  evidence  of  entrepreneurs' intent on developing their food
 manufacturing ideas into full scale production  capabilities  and  fully
 functional business entities.
   Minority  and immigrant populations are growing significantly through-
 out the state and so are their number  in  entrepreneurship  activities,
 including  in the development of foods from their native place of origin
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06515-01-3

 S. 1979                             2
 
 and this creates growing demand for such foods  by  increasing  minority
 and immigrant communities.
   Kitchen  incubators  housed  at select college campuses and our public
 housing authorities throughout New York state and  New  York  city  will
 help  develop  new  entrepreneurs  and increase the economic benefits of
 such activities for the entire state.
   However, New York must do more to propel these business start-ups  and
 potential  manufacturers  into  full scale operations and should move to
 allow its university systems to expand their regional economic  catalyst
 activities  to serve entrepreneurs looking to enter the food manufactur-
 ing sector.
   § 2. For purposes of this act, the term "kitchen incubator" shall mean
 an affordable small space with shared ovens, ranges,  industrial  mixers
 and other commercial kitchen equipment, to be rented by entrepreneurs to
 assist them in the development and/or manufacturing of food products for
 commercial purposes.
   § 3. a. The Empire State Development Corporation, in consultation with
 the  state  university  of  New  York,  the city university of New York,
 public housing authorities and the Commission  on  Independent  Colleges
 and  Universities  and  groups  selected by the Empire State Development
 Corporation, shall study and examine the potential economic  impact  for
 optimizing  kitchen  incubators in New York state including establishing
 and/or expanding such opportunities on the state university of New  York
 campuses,  the  city  university of New York campuses, and at public and
 private institutions of higher learning.
   b. The study conducted pursuant to this  section  shall  evaluate  the
 impact  of  such  optimization  on  entrepreneurship  efforts in growing
 minority and immigrant populations.
   c. The Empire State Development  Corporation  shall  create  a  report
 containing  recommendations  for the creation, funding and future expan-
 sion of kitchen incubators throughout the state at  public  and  private
 institutions  for  higher  learning  and public housing authorities; and
 increasing entrepreneurial success in the culinary industry, by  provid-
 ing  comprehensive advisory and business development services along with
 access to facilities and equipment in a co-working environment conducive
 to collaboration, networking and mentorship.
   d. The report compiled by the  Empire  State  Development  Corporation
 pursuant  to  subdivision  c  of  this section shall be submitted to the
 governor and the legislature not later than 270 days after the effective
 date of this act.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.