Requires the Empire State Development Corporation, in consultation with the department of agriculture and markets and the office of new Americans to conduct a study on the economic impact of the establishment of kitchen incubators; requires a report to the governor and the legislature.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1330
SPONSOR: Cruz TITLE OF BILL:
An act in relation to requiring the Empire State development corporation
in consultation with the department of agriculture and markets and the
office of new Americans to study the economic impact of optimizing and
creating kitchen incubators in New York state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:
This legislation creates a study on the economic impact of optimizing
and creating kitchen incubators in New York.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 provides the legislative intent of this bill. The legislature
hereby finds that in order for the state to improve the economic oppor-
tunities for its citizens and entrepreneurs; the state must also use and
expand its capabilities to offer space and resources to the next gener-
ation of food manufacturing businesses.
Section 2 defines "kitchen incubator." For purposes of this act, "kitch-
en incubator" shall mean a food preparation facility that provides
kitchen space and access to commercial-grade equipment to prepare food
at a shared or leased location.
Section 3 provides that using available appropriation, the Empire State
Development Corporation, in consultation with the Department of Agricul-
ture and Markets and the Office of New Americans, shall study and report
on the economic impact of optimizing and expanding kitchen incubators in
New York State. This section also provides specific components that such
report must include, such as insight into optimizing and expanding
kitchen incubators and entrepreneurship efforts for minority, women, and
immigrant populations, and recommendations on how to create more entre-
preneurial success in the industry.
Section 4 provides an effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation requires the Empire State Development Corporation to
consult with the Department of Agriculture and the Office of New Ameri-
cans to examine what potential economic impact optimizing and creating
kitchen incubators would have on the state.
Kitchen incubators are food preparation facilities that provide kitchen
space and access to commercial-grade equipment to prepare food at a
shared or leased location.
In order to improve the economic opportunities for citizens and entre-
preneurs, the State must use the established capabilities 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
kitchen incubators. They are facing high demand and are 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 items, 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 full
functional business entities. Minority and immigrant populations are
growing significantly throughout the state, as are their numbers in
entrepreneurship activities. Many immigrant entrepreneurs are developing
businesses focussed on foods from their native place of origin. The
demand for such foods are rapidly increasing in immigrant communities.
Kitchen incubators 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.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A7415-A in 21-22
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT:
None. This legislation will help create taxable income for New York
State and localities by encouraging the establishment of new businesses
and the hiring of new employees.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1330
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CRUZ, CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT in relation to requiring the Empire State development corporation
in consultation with the department of agriculture and markets and the
office of new Americans to study the economic impact of optimizing and
creating kitchen incubators in New York state
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that in
2 order to improve the economic opportunities for its citizens and entre-
3 preneurs, New York state must use and expand its capabilities to offer
4 space and resources to the next generation of food manufacturing busi-
5 nesses.
6 It has been documented that the chief obstacle for start-up food manu-
7 facturing businesses is their inability to access affordable commercial
8 kitchen space. Currently, in New York state, there are only a few kitch-
9 en incubators, which face high demand and are unable to meet the needs
10 of the many potential start-up businesses.
11 Kitchen incubators are valuable resources for New York state in it's
12 efforts to promote new jobs, business and increased tax revenues.
13 In New York city alone, there are more than 900 food firms, with over
14 16,000 employees and another 2,500 who are self-employed, making entre-
15 preneurs' intent on developing their food manufacturing ideas into full
16 scale functional business business evident.
17 Minority and immigrant populations are growing significantly through-
18 out the state and so is their involvement in entrepreneurship, including
19 production of foods from their place of origin, which creates growing
20 demand for such foods. This directly benefits minority and immigrant
21 communities.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03860-01-5
A. 1330 2
1 Increased capacity for kitchen incubators throughout New York state
2 will help new entrepreneurs succeed and increase the economic benefits
3 for the entire state.
4 New York must do more to propel these business start-ups and potential
5 manufacturers into full scale operations, and should move to allow its
6 university systems to expand their regional economic catalyst activities
7 to serve entrepreneurs looking to enter the food manufacturing sector.
8 § 2. For purposes of this act, the term "kitchen incubator" shall mean
9 a food preparation facility that provides kitchen space and access to
10 commercial grade equipment to prepare food at a shared or leased
11 location.
12 § 3. a. Using available appropriations, the Empire State Development
13 Corporation, in consultation with the department of agriculture and
14 markets and the office of new Americans shall study and examine the
15 potential economic impact for optimizing kitchen incubators in New York
16 state, including establishing and/or expanding such opportunities at
17 public or private locations with appropriate kitchen preparation space
18 for a kitchen incubator that the corporation may identify.
19 b. The study conducted pursuant to this section shall evaluate the
20 impact of such optimization on entrepreneurship efforts in growing
21 women, minority and immigrant populations.
22 c. The Empire State Development Corporation shall work with the
23 department of agriculture and markets and the office of new Americans to
24 convene a group of stakeholders to provide further insight into optimiz-
25 ing and expanding kitchen incubators and entrepreneurship efforts for
26 women, minority, and immigrant populations in New York state.
27 d. The Empire State Development Corporation shall create a report
28 containing recommendations for the creation, funding and future expan-
29 sion of kitchen incubators throughout the state, and increasing entre-
30 preneurial success in the culinary industry, by providing comprehensive
31 advisory and business development services along with access to facili-
32 ties and equipment in a co-working shared environment conducive to
33 collaboration, networking, mentorship, and food safety education.
34 e. The report compiled by the Empire State Development Corporation
35 pursuant to subdivision d of this section shall be submitted to the
36 governor and the legislature not later than one year after the effective
37 date of this act.
38 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
