Authorizes the commissioner of agriculture and markets to create an annual award to recognize students involved in a farm-to-school program or school garden; students can be nominated by their school's principal or teachers.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1904--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 11, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to authorize the commissioner of agriculture and markets to
create an annual award to recognize students involved in a farm-to-
school program or school garden
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is hereby
2 authorized and directed to create an award to be presented every year
3 hereafter at the state fair in recognition of student body that, as a
4 group, contributed to the success of a farm-to-school program or school
5 garden at their school. The commissioner of agriculture and markets
6 shall be authorized to provide funds for this award only to the extent
7 that an appropriation is available for this act's specific purpose.
8 § 2. (a) Candidates can be nominated by their school's principal or
9 teachers. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is instructed to
10 seek candidates with at least the qualities prescribed in this section,
11 though additional criteria not prescribed here may be used when evaluat-
12 ing candidates. With respect to their school's farm-to-school program or
13 school garden candidates should;
14 (i) demonstrate commitment and leadership;
15 (ii) progressively inspire a greater proportion of their school's
16 student body to become involved;
17 (iii) collaborate with colleagues, students, and their community; and
18 (iv) create a meaningful and functional program for their school.
19 (b) For each quality listed in subdivision (a) of this section,
20 specific examples and data shall be provided on behalf of each group of
21 candidates; however, primarily quantitative responses should not be
22 favored where quantitative data obscures qualitative information
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07033-05-7
S. 1904--A 2
1 concerning the students' experiences. Applications must demonstrate that
2 the relevant program or garden was primarily driven by the creativity
3 and initiative of the student body participating in the program. Special
4 consideration should be given to those candidates that integrate local
5 or regional agricultural products of any kind in to the classroom, cafe-
6 teria, and curriculum, or that have founded school gardens or mini-
7 farms.
8 § 3. Awards shall consist of a credit against any fees or tuition
9 charged during an awardee's first semester of enrollment in any part of
10 SUNY or CUNY, if such enrollment occurs, given in equal dollar amounts
11 to each student individually named in the nomination documentation.
12 § 4. Awards shall be given each year at the New York state fair in
13 consultation with the state fair's agriculture department, the director
14 of the state fair and the commissioner of education. The first such
15 award will be granted in the year following the year of enactment.
16 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
