S 5140: Establishes a farm-to-school task force; directs the commissioner of education to develop a program to require all public schools to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports local agriculture and increases market opportunities for farmers from under-represented communities.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5140 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 19, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, BAILEY -- 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 estab- lishing a farm-to-school task force; and to amend the education law, in relation to requiring all public schools to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports local agriculture and increases market opportunities for farmers from under-represented communities The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 5-b of section 16 of the agriculture and 2 markets law is amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows: 3 (d) Establish a task force to study and make recommendations on how to 4 provide fresh foods in all school districts in the state, while support- 5 ing New York local agriculture, and increasing market opportunities for 6 farmers from under-represented communities, including but not limited to 7 farmers who are black, indigenous, and people of color. Such task force 8 shall be composed of nine members who shall possess expertise in issues 9 relating to the work of the task force. Two members shall be appointed 10 by the governor, two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the 11 assembly, two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of 12 the senate, one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 13 assembly, one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 14 senate and one member shall be the commissioner or their designee. The 15 commissioner or their designee shall serve as chairperson of the task 16 force. Members of the task force shall be appointed no later than one 17 hundred twenty days after the effective date of this paragraph. Vacan- 18 cies shall be filled within thirty days in the same manner provided for 19 original appointments. No later than one year after all initial appoint- 20 ments have been made the task force shall make a report to the governor, 21 the legislature and the commissioner of education of its findings, 22 conclusions and recommendations. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09974-01-5 
 S. 5140 2 1 § 2. Subdivision 31 of section 305 of the education law, as added by 2 chapter 2 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows: 3 31. The commissioner shall cooperate with the commissioner of agricul- 4 ture and markets in establishing a farm-to-school program and coordinat- 5 ing New York Harvest For New York Kids Week as described in subdivision 6 five-b of section sixteen of the agriculture and markets law. The 7 commissioner's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, 8 developing a program based on the findings of the task force established 9 pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision five-b of section sixteen of 10 the agriculture and markets law, to require all school districts in the 11 state to provide fresh foods to students in a manner that supports New 12 York local agriculture while increasing market opportunities for farmers 13 from under-represented communities, compiling information for the 14 department of agriculture and markets from school districts and other 15 educational institutions under the department's jurisdiction interested 16 in purchasing New York farm products and disseminating to those 17 districts and institutions information from the department of agricul- 18 ture and markets about the availability of New York farm products, and 19 contact information for farmers and other businesses marketing such 20 products. The commissioner shall report to the legislature about the 21 need for changes in law to facilitate the purchase of such products by 22 schools and other institutions. 23 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 24 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.