A 1150: Establishes the small farm disaster recovery grant program; provides grants for the purchase and replanting of crops destroyed by natural disaster.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1150 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to estab- lishing a small farm disaster recovery grant program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new 2 section 325-b to read as follows: 3 § 325-b. Small farm disaster recovery grant program. 1. There is here- 4 by established a small farm disaster recovery grant program to be admin- 5 istered by the department, in conjunction with the empire state develop- 6 ment corporation. 7 2. The purpose of the program is to provide financial relief to small 8 farms that have been affected by natural disasters. 9 3. For purposes of this section, small farm shall only include farms 10 that sell produce and have annual sales of one hundred thousand dollars 11 or less. 12 4. The owner of any small farm may submit an application for a grant 13 pursuant to this section to the department. Grants awarded pursuant to 14 this section shall be used solely for the purpose of purchasing and 15 replanting crops that have been destroyed by a natural disaster. 16 5. The commissioner, upon review of an owner's application, shall 17 determine if the owner is eligible for a grant pursuant to this section. 18 The commissioner shall make the determination as to the amount of grant 19 the small farm owner needs to rebuild their crop, provided that such 20 amount shall in no event exceed ten thousand dollars. 21 6. This program shall be funded through annual appropriations of the 22 legislature or any other funds received by the state for the purposes of 23 this section. Grants shall only be awarded based upon the availability 24 of funds. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01324-01-5 
 A. 1150 2 1 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding 2 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the 3 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 4 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 5 to be made and completed on or before such effective date.