S 5117: Establishes in the department of agriculture and markets a program to purchase fresh produce from farms located in the state and distribute such produce to areas determined by the commissioner of agriculture and markets to be food deserts; promotes opportunities for farm ownership among under-represented farmers, including farmers who are black, indigenous, or people of color.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5117 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to provid- ing fresh produce to food deserts in the state 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 53 to read as follows: 3 53. (a) Establish a program in the state to purchase fresh produce 4 from farms located in the state utilizing all monies appropriated to 5 such program and distribute such fresh produce in areas of the state 6 determined by the commissioner to be food deserts. The commissioner 7 shall promulgate for such program: 8 (i) eligibility and application criteria for individuals in areas in 9 the state designated as food deserts to receive fresh produce pursuant 10 to the program; 11 (ii) eligibility and application criteria for farms in the state to 12 register as vendors to expedite the acquisition and distribution of 13 fresh produce from such farms; 14 (iii) criteria that promotes opportunities for market participation by 15 farmers from under-represented communities, including but not limited to 16 farmers who are black, indigenous, or from communities of color. The 17 program shall promote a consistent demand of products and services from 18 under-represented farmers, including opportunities for farmers who are 19 black, indigenous, or from communities of color to re-establish farm 20 ownership. 21 (b) As used in this subdivision "food desert" shall have the same 22 meaning as defined by the United States department of agriculture. For 23 the purposes of the program established pursuant to paragraph (a) of 24 this subdivision, the commissioner shall additionally consider readily 25 available access to fresh foods, the socio-economics of an area, and the EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09973-01-5 
 S. 5117 2 1 distance to food establishments that provide healthy and/or organic 2 foods when determining what areas of the state are considered to be a 3 food desert for the purposes of the program. 4 (c) The commissioner shall promulgate any rules or regulations neces- 5 sary to effectuate the provisions of this subdivision. 6 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 7 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment 8 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 9 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 10 completed on or before such effective date.