STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1824
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 15, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sens. RITCHIE, CROCI, LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered
printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agricul-
ture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law and the public lands
law, in relation to access to viable agricultural land for new and
beginning farmers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 16 of the agriculture and markets law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 2-e to read as follows:
3 2-e. Aid in efforts supporting the successful transfer of viable agri-
4 cultural land from existing owners to new owners and operators, espe-
5 cially beginning farmers.
6 § 2. Subdivision 5 of section 309 of the agriculture and markets law,
7 as added by chapter 79 of the laws of 1980, is amended to read as
8 follows:
9 5. The advisory council on agriculture shall advise the commissioner
10 and other state agency heads on state government plans, policies and
11 programs affecting farming and the agricultural industry of this state
12 including, but not limited to, advice regarding tax, financial assist-
13 ance and other policies and programs that could address the needs of
14 beginning farmers and issues related to transfer of ownership of farms.
15 Concerned state agencies shall be encouraged to establish a working
16 relationship with the council and shall fully cooperate with the council
17 in any requests it shall make.
18 § 3. Subdivision 6 of section 323 of the agriculture and markets law,
19 as amended by chapter 150 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as
20 follows:
21 6. reporting biennially to the governor and the legislature regarding
22 the activities of the commissioner, including efforts to enhance access
23 to viable agricultural land for new and beginning farmers, the types of
24 technical assistance rendered to county agricultural and farmland
25 protection boards, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05590-01-5
S. 1824 2
1 and not-for-profit conservation organizations, and the need to protect
2 the state's agricultural economy and land resources.
3 § 4. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
4 section 329-a to read as follows:
5 § 329-a. Farmland availability information. 1. The department shall
6 collect and compile information about public land that is viable for
7 farming and is available for purchase or lease for farming and make
8 available such information, including contact information for the office
9 of general services, other state agencies, municipalities, and other
10 governmental entities offering such land, on its internet website. The
11 department shall provide guidance and assistance to the office of gener-
12 al services, other state agencies, municipalities and other governmental
13 organizations that request such assistance, in identifying land that is
14 viable for farming.
15 2. The department may also make available similar information about
16 private land available for purchase or lease for farming, including
17 contact information for the owners of such land.
18 § 5. Section 2 of the public lands law is amended by adding two new
19 subdivisions 2-a and 2-b to read as follows:
20 2-a. State-owned real property inventory; farming. a. The commissioner
21 of general services is authorized and directed to develop an inventory,
22 in cooperation with the commissioner of agriculture and markets, of
23 state-owned real property that may be viable for farming.
24 b. If the commissioner determines that any of such property should be
25 made available for purchase or lease for farming then such information
26 shall be provided to the department of agriculture and markets for the
27 farmland availability information program, provided, however, that if
28 the commissioner, in cooperation with the commissioner of agriculture
29 and markets, determines that any of such property should be protected
30 and preserved using article twenty-five-AAA of the agriculture and
31 markets law then information about such property shall not be provided
32 for the farmland availability information program until a review of the
33 merits and feasibility of preserving such property using such article
34 has been considered.
35 2-b. Report. The commissioner shall report to the governor and the
36 legislature within one year of the effective date of this subdivision
37 on:
38 a. the inventory of state-owned real property that may be viable for
39 farming conducted pursuant to subdivision two-a of this section;
40 b. the feasibility of, and barriers to, selling, leasing or using such
41 property for farming;
42 c. the feasibility of using article twenty-five-AAA of agriculture and
43 markets law to protect and preserve such land for farming when such land
44 is sold; and
45 d. any concerns related to selling or leasing such property for farm-
46 ing, including, but not limited to, the types of farming activities that
47 may be appropriate and the environmental and community impacts of farm-
48 ing such properties.
49 § 6. Section 2 of the public lands law is amended by adding a new
50 subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
51 3-a. Land viable for farming; identification. The commissioner of
52 general services is authorized and directed, as part of the state-owned
53 real property management program, to work with state agencies to identi-
54 fy land that may be viable for farming and may be made available for
55 purchase or lease for farming.
56 § 7. This act shall take effect immediately.
