Authorizes the department of health to implement a community food security, empowerment and economic development program (SEED) to help meet the food need of low-income people and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; provides grants for the cost of program projects which will be available to non-profit organizations and local governments, with limited partnership with for-profit enterprises; makes related provisions.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3086
SPONSOR: Cook (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to creating a food
security, empowerment and economic development program
PURPOSE OF BILL:
Develop demonstration projects to increase the self sufficiency of low-
income communities in providing for their food needs.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Adds a new Article 27-FF to the Public Health Law creating the Community
Food Security, Empowerment and Economic Development (SEED) Program. This
program will support projects designed to: increase the availability of
culturally acceptable, affordable, nutritionally adequate food, from
local sources whenever possible; develop linkages between local farmers
and communities served by the projects; support job development and
training; support entrepreneurship; and encourage community collab-
oration and decision mating in the development of projects. Projects
will be designed to become self-sustaining.
An advisory council, composed of twelve members with expertise in commu-
nity food security, shall assist the commissioner in the development of
the programs and review of grant applications. Six members shall be
appointed by the Governor, two by the Speaker of the Assembly, two by
the Temporary President of the Senate, one by the Minority Leader of the
Senate and one by the Minority Leader of the Assembly.
EFFECTS OF PRESENT LAW WHICH THIS BILL WOULD ALTER:
None.
JUSTIFICATION:
Many low-income neighborhoods in the State lack food stores with afford-
able, nutritious food. There is a need to develop food resources and
businesses in these communities that provide higher quality, more acces-
sible food. At the same time many New York farmers, struggling to remain
profitable, are looting to expand their sales into near by markets.
Residents in distressed communities often rely on government food
assistance which is being cut back. Those who lack adequate income and
use up government assistance turn to emergency food providers who have
also experienced cutbacks in donations of food. As the Federal Govern-
ment and New York State attempt to reduce dependency on government,
there is a need to support families leaving public assistance for work.
One approach to increasing work opportunities and addressing the food
needs in these communities is through the development of "community food
security", which is defined as people successfully obtaining an accepta-
ble, nutritious diet using local non-emergency sources. Community food
security projects are designed to meet the food needs of low-income
people, increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their
own food needs, and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm
and nutrition issues. For example, these projects provide training in
urban gardening and sales, assist entrepreneurs starting micro-enter-
prises, support farmers' markets in distressed neighborhoods and provide
food-based educational opportunities for schools.
This bill supports the goals of self-reliance, community-based economic
development, profitable local agriculture, improved nutrition and help-
ing families and individuals help themselves, The creation of a Communi-
ty Food Security Program for New York State will benefit struggling
working families and their communities, provide new markets for family
farmers, create food-based jobs and small businesses, and ensure heal-
thier citizens and neighborhoods.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Previously introduced
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Subject to the availability of funding.
REGULATION IMPACT:
Health Department regulations may be needed to specify the requirements
for grant applications.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3086
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. COOK, ORTIZ, ROBINSON, JAFFEE -- Multi-Sponsored
by -- M. of A. COLTON, GOTTFRIED, MARKEY, RIVERA, SCARBOROUGH, TITONE
-- read once and referred to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to creating a food
security, empowerment and economic development program
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 finds there is a need
2 for community economic development to improve the food system in areas
3 where there is an inadequate food supply and many residents who rely on
4 fluctuating government and private food assistance. There is a need to
5 develop food resources and businesses in these communities that provide
6 higher quality, more accessible food. The legislature also finds that
7 local farmers and food producers can and should benefit from these
8 efforts.
9 The legislature further finds that as the federal government and New
10 York state attempt to reduce dependency on government, there is a need
11 to support families leaving public assistance for work. One approach to
12 increasing work opportunities and addressing the food needs in these
13 communities is through the development of "community food security",
14 which is defined as people successfully obtaining an acceptable, nutri-
15 tious diet using local non-emergency sources.
16 Community food security projects are designed to meet the food needs
17 of low income people, increase the self-reliance of communities in
18 providing for their own food needs, and promote comprehensive responses
19 to local food, farm and nutrition issues. For example, these projects
20 provide training in urban gardening and sales, assist entrepreneurs
21 starting micro-enterprises, support farmers' markets in distressed
22 neighborhoods and provide food-based educational opportunities for
23 schools.
24 The legislature supports the goals of self-reliance, community-based
25 economic development, profitable local agriculture, improved nutrition
26 and helping families and individuals help themselves. Therefore, the
27 legislature finds that the creation of a community food security program
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06979-01-5
A. 3086 2
1 for New York state will benefit struggling working families and their
2 communities, provide new markets for family farmers, create food-based
3 jobs and small businesses, and ensure healthier citizens and neighbor-
4 hoods.
5 § 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 27-FF to
6 read as follows:
7 ARTICLE 27-FF
8 COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY,
9 EMPOWERMENT AND
10 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
11 Section 2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
12 ment program.
13 2791. Grants to organizations.
14 2792. Advisory council.
15 § 2790. Community food security, empowerment and economic development
16 program. The community food security, empowerment and economic develop-
17 ment program is established within the department. Such program is
18 established to support the development of community food projects
19 designed to meet the food needs of low-income people, increase the self-
20 reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs and
21 promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition
22 issues. These projects will attempt to: increase the availability, in
23 the targeted communities, of culturally acceptable, affordable, nutri-
24 tionally adequate food, from local sources whenever possible; develop
25 linkages between local farmers and communities served by the project;
26 support job development and job training, including work experience
27 required by welfare reform; support the development of entrepreneurial
28 enterprises; promote good nutrition; encourage long-term planning and
29 multi-agency involvement in the project; and, include community resi-
30 dents in decision-making.
31 § 2791. Grants to organizations. The commissioner shall make grants
32 for program projects, subject to the availability of funding, to commu-
33 nity-based nonprofit organizations and local governments. In order to
34 meet the goals of the program, applicants may create partnerships with
35 other entities, including limited participation by for-profit enter-
36 prises.
37 Preference for these grants shall be given to projects located in
38 communities with a significant percentage of the population participat-
39 ing in government and private food assistance programs.
40 Projects funded by these grants shall be designed to become self-sus-
41 taining, not dependent on continual grants from this program.
42 § 2792. Advisory council. An advisory council shall be established to
43 assist the commissioner in the development of the grant program and in
44 reviewing applications for such grants. The council shall be composed of
45 twelve members with expertise in community food security. Six members
46 shall be appointed by the governor, two members shall be appointed by
47 the temporary president of the senate, two members shall be appointed by
48 the speaker of the assembly, one member shall be appointed by the minor-
49 ity leader of the senate and one member shall be appointed by the minor-
50 ity leader of the assembly. These members shall serve at the will of the
51 appointing authority. The commissioners of the office of temporary and
52 disability assistance, agriculture and markets and economic development
53 or their designees shall also participate in the advisory council.
54 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
