Senate Bill S8711

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8711

SPONSOR: HINCHEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the economic development law, in relation to including
certain companies engaging in hospitality or tourism which primarily
promote the sale, marketing, production, harvesting, or use of certain
agricultural products or food or drinks in the excelsior jobs program

 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

To expand eligibility of the Excelsior Jobs Program to companies operat-
ing in the agriculture industry and engaging in hospitality or tourism
which primarily promote the sale, marketing, production, harvesting, or
use of the agricultural product or any product designed for food or
drink manufactured or prepared onsite principally from an agricultural
product.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends paragraphs (n) and (o) of Subdivision 1 of Section 353
              

of the Economic Development Law and adding a new paragraph (p) to allow
a company operating in the agriculture industry and engaging in hospi-
tality or tourism which primarily promote the sale, marketing,
production, harvesting, or use of the agricultural product or any prod-
uct designed for food or drink manufactured or prepared onsite princi-
pally from an agricultural product to be eligible for the Excelsior Jobs
Program.

§ 2: Effective Date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The Excelsior Jobs Program provides job creation and investment incen-
tives to firms in targeted industries that create and maintain new jobs
or make significant financial investments in New York State.  The
program has been successful in encouraging businesses to expand in and
relocate to New York. While agriculture is an eligible industry, if an
agricultural company engages in hospitality or tourism, they become
ineligible for the program.

This bill would allow a company operating in the agriculture industry
that also engages in hospitality or tourism primarily promoting the
sale, marketing, production, harvesting, or use of the agricultural
product or any product designed for food or drink manufactured or
prepared onsite primarily from an agricultural product to be eligible
for the Excelsior Jobs Program.  This would ensure that agricultural
companies that, for example, produce and sell wine, cheese, or another
agricultural product on site, would now be eligible for the Excelsior
Jobs Program.  Agricultural tourism and on-farm hospitality with a focus
on food or drink manufactured or prepared onsite are a lifeline to small
and medium sized farms, help create long term jobs, and bring further
economic development to the regions that they operate in.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.