STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1363--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 8, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER, BRABENEC, DeSTEFANO, MANKTELOW, STIRPE,
JONES, GRIFFIN, WILLIAMS, COOK, RODRIGUEZ, JACOBSON, GOODELL, DICKENS,
GLICK, BARRON, LEMONDES -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. HAWLEY,
SALKA, TAGUE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture
-- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended
and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to establish a youth development agriculture technology challenge
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. There is hereby established a youth development agricul-
2 ture technology challenge competition ("challenge") for students in
3 elementary, secondary, and higher education. Such challenge shall be
4 coordinated by the department of agriculture and markets ("department")
5 as part of the state fair in conjunction with Cornell cooperative exten-
6 sion and other interested partners, including, but not limited to,
7 institutions of higher education, school districts and boards of cooper-
8 ative education services, youth agricultural organizations promoting
9 leadership and career success in agriculture, and other science, tech-
10 nology, engineering and mathematics and/or robotics competition
11 programs. The department is authorized to utilize funds appropriated for
12 the state fair and received pursuant to section 31-c of the agriculture
13 and markets law and to receive, accept and use gifts and donations for
14 the purpose of this act which may be offered notwithstanding section
15 eleven of the state finance law or any other provision of law. All money
16 received as gifts or donations shall be deposited in a special fund
17 pursuant to section 31-c of the agriculture and markets law and
18 disbursed for the purposes of this act or paid to the commissioner of
19 taxation and finance, who together with the state comptroller is hereby
20 constituted and appointed the joint custodian thereof and shall consti-
21 tute a special fund to be used under the direction of the department for
22 the purposes of this act. The department, Cornell cooperative extension
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01206-02-1
A. 1363--A 2
1 and other participating partners shall work together to establish the
2 challenge to engage students to develop solutions to relevant technolog-
3 ical problems and issues faced by farmers and food producers including,
4 but not limited to, increasing food production, increasing energy effi-
5 ciency and decreasing the cost of farming and food production, and
6 addressing the impact of farming on the environment and the impact of
7 environmental changes such as climate change or pollinator loss on farm-
8 ing. The department and its partners shall identify resources including
9 training or coaching that will assist students in underserved rural and
10 urban communities to participate in the challenge, and develop dead-
11 lines, parameters including establishing elementary, secondary, or high-
12 er education categories, and relevant judging criteria for the projects
13 submitted for the agriculture technology challenge. Subject to funds
14 available for the purposes of this act prizes may be awarded for the
15 winning submissions of the challenge.
16 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.