A2359A-2011 Actions

• Jun 20, 2012: REFERRED TO RULES
• Jun 20, 2012: delivered to senate
• Jun 20, 2012: passed assembly
• May 24, 2012: advanced to third reading cal.621
• May 22, 2012: reported
• May 15, 2012: reported referred to ways and means
• Apr 19, 2012: print number 2359a
• Apr 19, 2012: amend (t) and recommit to economic development
• Jan 4, 2012: referred to economic development
• Jan 18, 2011: referred to economic development

A2359A-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 2359--A
 2011-2012 Regular Sessions
 I N  ASSEMBLY
 January 18, 2011
 
 Introduced by M. of A. GIBSON, STEVENSON, CASTRO, ROBERTS -- Multi-Spon
 sored by -- M.  of A. BOYLAND -- read once and referred to the Commit
 tee  on  Economic  Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry -
 recommitted to the Committee on Economic  Development,  Job  Creation,
 Commerce  and  Industry  in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -
 committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as  amended  and
 recommitted to said committee
 

AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
 relation  to  enacting the food retail establishment subsidization for
 healthy communities (FRESH Communities) act
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "food retail establishment  subsidization  for  healthy  communities
 act".
 

S 2. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that the lack of access
 to  fresh  foods  is  a  problem  of growing concern in many communities
 across the state. Substantial increases in urban land values and  rents,
 limited  access to financing and other economic pressures have left many
 lower-income residents in urban and rural areas underserved by supermar
 kets and other food retail establishments. The resulting lack of  access
 to  a variety of fresh food retailers makes it more difficult and expen
 sive for these residents to maintain a nutritionally balanced  diet  and
 leads  to  increased  public  health  costs, dilutes the value of public
 assistance for food purchases, leads to greater travel times and  energy
 expenditures  to  obtain fresh food, and deprives the state's farmers of
 markets for their products. Providing access to financial assistance for
 urban and rural supermarkets in  underserved  areas  will  remedy  these
 adverse conditions, create employment opportunities and help to revital
 ize and stabilize currently underserved neighborhoods.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06275-04-2
 
       A. 2359--A                          2
 

S  3. Subdivision 1 of section 16-m of section 1 of chapter 174 of the
 laws of 1968, constituting the New York state urban  development  corpo
 ration act, is amended by adding a new paragraph (n) to read as follows:

 (N)  LOANS,  LOAN  GUARANTEES,  INTEREST SUBSIDIES AND GRANTS TO BUSI
 NESSES, MUNICIPALITIES, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS OR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
 CORPORATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTRACTING,  MAINTAINING  OR  PERMITTING
 THE  EXPANSION  OF  FOOD RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS. FOR
 PURPOSES OF THIS PARAGRAPH, "UNDERSERVED AREAS"  SHALL  INCLUDE  LOW  OR
 MODERATE-INCOME CENSUS TRACTS, AREAS OF BELOW AVERAGE SUPERMARKET DENSI
 TY  OR  HAVING  A SUPERMARKET CUSTOMER BASE WITH MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT
 LIVING IN LOW-INCOME CENSUS TRACTS, OR OTHER AREAS DEMONSTRATED TO  HAVE
 SIGNIFICANT  ACCESS LIMITATIONS DUE TO TRAVEL DISTANCE, AS DETERMINED BY
 THE CORPORATION, AND "FOOD RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS" SHALL  INCLUDE  SUPER
 MARKETS AND OTHER GROCERY RETAILERS THAT OPERATE ON A SELF-SERVICE BASIS
 AND  SELL A MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF PRODUCE, MEAT, POULTRY, SEAFOOD, BAKED
 GOODS AND/OR DAIRY PRODUCTS AND WHICH:

 (I) PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIDE OF NEW YORK PROGRAM;
 (II) ACCEPT PAYMENT  FROM  ELECTRONIC  BENEFIT  TRANSFER  THROUGH  THE
 SUPPLEMENTAL  NUTRITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  AND  THROUGH  THE  SPECIAL
 SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN;
 (III) DO NOT CHARGE A MEMBERSHIP FEE; AND
 (IV) HIRE RESIDENTS LIVING WITHIN A TWENTY MILE RADIUS OF SUCH  RETAIL
 FOOD ESTABLISHMENT.
 

S 4.  This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however that the
 urban  development  corporation  shall be immediately authorized to take
 any and all actions  necessary  to  fully  implement  the  provision  of
 section three of this act on or before such effective date; and provided
 further,  that  the  amendments to section 16-m of the urban development
 corporation act made by section three of this act shall not  affect  the
 expiration of such section and shall be deemed to expire therewith.

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