Authorizes the department of health to implement a community food security, empowerment and economic development program (SEED) to help meet the food need of low-income people and promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; provides grants for the cost of program projects which will be available to non-profit organizations and local governments, with limited partnership with for-profit enterprises; makes related provisions.

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S4955-2011 Actions

• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO HEALTH
• May 2, 2011: REFERRED TO HEALTH

S4955-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S4955

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the public health law, in relation to creating a food security,
empowerment and economic development program

PURPOSE:
Develop demonstration projects to increase the self sufficiency of
low-income communities in providing for their food needs.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Adds a new Article 27-FF to the Public Health Law creating the
Community Food Security, Empowerment and Economic Development (SEED)
Program. This program will support projects designed to: increase the
availability of culturally acceptable, affordable, nutritionally
adequate food, from local sources whenever possible; develop linkages
between local farmers and communities served by the projects; support
job development and training; support entrepreneurship; and encourage
community collaboration and decision making in the development of
projects. Projects will be designed to become self-sustaining.

An advisory council, composed of twelve members with expertise in
community food security, shall assist the commissioner in the
development of the programs and review of grant applications. Six
members shall be appointed by the Governor, two by the Speaker of the
Assembly, two by the Temporary President of the Senate, one by the
Minority Leader of the Senate and one by the Minority Leader of the
Assembly.

JUSTIFICATION:
Many low-income neighborhoods in the State lack food stores with
affordable, nutritious food.
There is a need to develop food resources and businesses in these
communities that provide higher quality, more accessible food. At the
same time many New York farmers, struggling to remain profitable, are
looking to expand their sales into nearby markets.

Residents in distressed communities often rely on government food
assistance which is being cut back. Those who lack adequate income
and use up government assistance turn to emergency food providers who
have also experienced cutbacks in donations of food. As the Federal
Government and New York State attempt to reduce dependency on
government, there is a need to support families leaving public
assistance for work.

One approach to increasing work opportunities and addressing the food
needs in these communities is through the development of "community
food security", which is defined as people successfully obtaining an
acceptable, nutritious diet using local non-emergency sources.
Community food security projects are designed to. meet the food needs
of law-income people, increase the self-reliance of communities in
providing far their own food needs, and promote comprehensive
responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues. For example,
these projects provide training in urban gardening and sales, assist
entrepreneurs starting micro-enterprises, support farmers' markets in


distressed neighborhoods and provide food-based educational
opportunities for schools.

This bill supports the goals of self-reliance, community-based
economic development, profitable local agriculture, improved
nutrition and helping families and individuals help themselves. The
creation of a Community Food Security Program for New York State will
benefit struggling working families and their communities, provide
new markets for family farmers, create food-based jobs and small
businesses, and ensure healthier citizens and neighborhoods.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.6835 1997/98; A.5956 1999/00; 2001/02 A.772;
A.515 2003/04; A.2651 2005/06; A.2502 2007/08

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Funded through the Department of Health Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program subject to the availability of funding.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S4955-2011 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    4955

                         2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 May 2, 2011
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  BALL  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Health

  AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  creating  a  food
    security, empowerment and economic development program

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature finds there is  a  need
  for  community  economic development to improve the food system in areas
  where there is an inadequate food supply and many residents who rely  on
  fluctuating  government  and private food assistance. There is a need to
  develop food resources and businesses in these communities that  provide
  higher  quality,  more  accessible food. The legislature also finds that
  local farmers and food producers  can  and  should  benefit  from  these
  efforts.
    The  legislature  further finds that as the federal government and New
  York state attempt to reduce dependency on government, there is  a  need
  to  support families leaving public assistance for work. One approach to
  increasing work opportunities and addressing the  food  needs  in  these
  communities  is  through  the  development of "community food security",
  which is defined as people successfully obtaining an acceptable,  nutri-
  tious diet using local non-emergency sources.
    Community  food  security projects are designed to meet the food needs
  of low income people,  increase  the  self-reliance  of  communities  in
  providing  for their own food needs, and promote comprehensive responses
  to local food, farm and nutrition issues. For  example,  these  projects
  provide  training  in  urban  gardening  and sales, assist entrepreneurs
  starting  micro-enterprises,  support  farmers'  markets  in  distressed
  neighborhoods  and  provide  food-based  educational  opportunities  for
  schools.
    The legislature supports the goals of  self-reliance,  community-based
  economic  development,  profitable local agriculture, improved nutrition

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD02482-01-1

 S. 4955                             2

  and helping families and individuals  help  themselves.  Therefore,  the
  legislature finds that the creation of a community food security program
  for  New  York  state will benefit struggling working families and their
  communities,  provide  new markets for family farmers, create food-based
  jobs and small businesses, and ensure healthier citizens  and  neighbor-
  hoods.
    S 2. The public health law is amended by adding a new article 27-FF to
  read as follows:

                                ARTICLE 27-FF
                          COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY,
                               EMPOWERMENT AND
                        ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
  SECTION 2790. COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY, EMPOWERMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOP-
                  MENT PROGRAM.
          2791. GRANTS TO ORGANIZATIONS.
          2792. ADVISORY COUNCIL.
    S  2790. COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY, EMPOWERMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
  PROGRAM.  THE COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY, EMPOWERMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOP-
  MENT PROGRAM IS ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE  DEPARTMENT.  SUCH  PROGRAM  IS
  ESTABLISHED  TO  SUPPORT  THE  DEVELOPMENT  OF  COMMUNITY  FOOD PROJECTS
  DESIGNED TO MEET THE FOOD  NEEDS  OF  LOW-INCOME  PEOPLE,  INCREASE  THE
  SELF-RELIANCE  OF  COMMUNITIES IN PROVIDING FOR THEIR OWN FOOD NEEDS AND
  PROMOTE COMPREHENSIVE  RESPONSES  TO  LOCAL  FOOD,  FARM  AND  NUTRITION
  ISSUES.  THESE  PROJECTS  WILL ATTEMPT TO: INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY, IN
  THE TARGETED COMMUNITIES, OF CULTURALLY ACCEPTABLE,  AFFORDABLE,  NUTRI-
  TIONALLY  ADEQUATE  FOOD,  FROM LOCAL SOURCES WHENEVER POSSIBLE; DEVELOP
  LINKAGES BETWEEN LOCAL FARMERS AND COMMUNITIES SERVED  BY  THE  PROJECT;
  SUPPORT  JOB  DEVELOPMENT  AND  JOB  TRAINING, INCLUDING WORK EXPERIENCE
  REQUIRED BY WELFARE REFORM; SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT  OF  ENTREPRENEURIAL
  ENTERPRISES;  PROMOTE  GOOD  NUTRITION; ENCOURAGE LONG-TERM PLANNING AND
  MULTI-AGENCY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT; AND,  INCLUDE  COMMUNITY  RESI-
  DENTS IN DECISION-MAKING.
    S  2791.  GRANTS  TO ORGANIZATIONS. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MAKE GRANTS
  FOR PROGRAM PROJECTS, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING, TO  COMMU-
  NITY-BASED  NONPROFIT  ORGANIZATIONS  AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. IN ORDER TO
  MEET THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM, APPLICANTS MAY CREATE  PARTNERSHIPS  WITH
  OTHER  ENTITIES,  INCLUDING  LIMITED  PARTICIPATION BY FOR-PROFIT ENTER-
  PRISES.
    PREFERENCE FOR THESE GRANTS SHALL BE  GIVEN  TO  PROJECTS  LOCATED  IN
  COMMUNITIES  WITH A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION PARTICIPAT-
  ING IN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
    PROJECTS FUNDED BY THESE GRANTS SHALL BE DESIGNED TO BECOME  SELF-SUS-
  TAINING, NOT DEPENDENT ON CONTINUAL GRANTS FROM THIS PROGRAM.
    S  2792. ADVISORY COUNCIL. AN ADVISORY COUNCIL SHALL BE ESTABLISHED TO
  ASSIST THE COMMISSIONER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GRANT PROGRAM  AND  IN
  REVIEWING APPLICATIONS FOR SUCH GRANTS. THE COUNCIL SHALL BE COMPOSED OF
  TWELVE  MEMBERS  WITH EXPERTISE IN COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY.  SIX MEMBERS
  SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR, TWO MEMBERS SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  BY
  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, TWO MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY
  THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINOR-
  ITY LEADER OF THE SENATE AND ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINOR-
  ITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY. THESE MEMBERS SHALL SERVE AT THE WILL OF THE
  APPOINTING  AUTHORITY.  THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND
  DISABILITY ASSISTANCE, AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS AND ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT
  OR THEIR DESIGNEES SHALL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.