Requires the Empire State Development Corporation, in consultation with SUNY, CUNY, and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities to conduct a study on the economic impact of the establishment of kitchen incubators; requires a report to the governor and the legislature.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6271
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 4, 2019
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO,
AUBRY, FINCH, JAFFEE, RAMOS, RIVERA, RODRIGUEZ -- read once and
referred to the Committee on Higher Education
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 and the commission on independent colleges and
universities to study the economic impact of optimizing kitchen incu-
bators 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, it must use the established capabilities of its university
4 systems to offer space and resources to the next generation of food
5 manufacturing businesses.
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 all over the state, there are only a few kitch-
9 en incubators facing high demand and unable to meet the needs of the
10 many potential start-up businesses.
11 Kitchen incubators are valuable resources for New York state as it
12 moves to promote more job development, business development and
13 increased tax revenues.
14 In New York City alone, there are more than 900 food firms, with over
15 16,000 employees and another 2,500 who are self-employed. This has been
16 viewed as evidence of entrepreneurs' intent on developing their food
17 manufacturing ideas into full scale production capabilities and fully
18 functional business entities.
19 Minority and immigrant populations are growing significantly through-
20 out the state and so are their number in entrepreneurship activities,
21 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.
LBD10213-01-9
A. 6271 2
1 and this creates growing demand for such foods by increasing minority
2 and immigrant communities.
3 Kitchen incubators housed at select college campuses throughout New
4 York state and New York city will help develop new entrepreneurs and
5 increase the economic benefits of such activities for the entire state.
6 However, New York must do more to propel these business start-ups and
7 potential manufacturers into full scale operations and should move to
8 allow its university systems to expand their regional economic catalyst
9 activities to serve entrepreneurs looking to enter the food manufactur-
10 ing sector.
11 § 2. For purposes of this act, the term "kitchen incubator" shall mean
12 an affordable small space with shared ovens, ranges, industrial mixers
13 and other commercial kitchen equipment, to be rented by entrepreneurs to
14 assist them in the development and/or manufacturing of food products for
15 commercial purposes.
16 § 3. a. The Empire State Development Corporation, in consultation with
17 the state university of New York, the city university of New York, and
18 the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities and groups
19 selected by the Empire State Development Corporation, shall study and
20 examine the potential economic impact for optimizing kitchen incubators
21 in New York state including establishing and/or expanding such opportu-
22 nities in the state university of New York, the city university of New
23 York, and the Commission on Independent Colleges.
24 b. The study conducted pursuant to this section shall evaluate the
25 impact of such optimization on entrepreneurship efforts in growing
26 minority and immigrant populations.
27 c. 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 on college campuses;
30 and increasing entrepreneurial success in the culinary industry, by
31 providing comprehensive advisory and business development services along
32 with access to facilities and equipment in a co-working environment
33 conducive to collaboration, networking and mentorship.
34 d. The report compiled by the Empire State Development Corporation
35 pursuant to paragraph c of this section shall be submitted to the gover-
36 nor and the legislature not later than May 1, 2020.
37 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.