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S6360Senate2013-2014 SessionSame asA8026

Authorizes the creation of an agricultural district with two hundred fifty acres

Sponsor David J. ValeskySD-53+3 co-sponsorsAffects Finance
Status
Signed by Governor
Impact
Pending
Outcome
Signed into law

Bill progress

Signed into law

What's happening

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Who cares

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Sponsors

Primary sponsor
David J. Valesky

Senator · Senate District 53

Chair, Aging

History

  1. Signed chap.463
  2. Delivered to governor
  3. Returned to senate
  4. Passed assembly
  5. Ordered to third reading rules cal.152
  6. Substituted for A8026A
  7. Referred to ways and means
  8. Delivered to assembly
  9. Passed senateVote 58–0
  10. Ordered to third reading cal.1256
  11. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  12. Reported and committed to finance
Show 3 earlier actions
  1. Print number 6360a
  2. Amend and recommit to agriculture
  3. Referred to agriculture

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A8026Assembly

Authorizes the creation of an agricultural district with two hundred fifty acres

Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Ellen C. Jaffee

Full text

The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.

Sponsor's memo

BILL NUMBER:S6360A

Title of bill

An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to agricultural districts

Purpose or general idea of bill

To lower the threshold for creation of an Agricultural District from 500 acres to 250 acres.

Summary of specific provisions

Amends subdivision 1 of Section 303 of the Agriculture and Markets Law to lower the threshold for creation of an Agricultural District from 500 acres to 250 acres.

Justification

The Constitution of the State of New York directs the legislature to protect agricultural lands which are an economic and environmental resource of major importance. In the early 1970s, the legislature passed the Agricultural Districts Law to provide a locally-initiated mechanism for the protection and enhancement of New York's agricultural lands.

The Agricultural Districts Law authorizes the creation of local Districts to encourage and protect farming by assessing farmland based on its agricultural value rather than market value. In addition, the Law provides protection against overly restrictive local laws, government funded acquisition or construction projects, and private nuisance suits involving agricultural practices in the districts.

As the demand for local food by consumers, restaurants, schools and other institutions grows, there has been increased interest in maintaining and encouraging farms within suburban and even urban communities. Development pressure, high land prices, and dense population in these areas can threaten the continued existence of farms. Agricultural District protections in some of our more developed counties are not attainable because there is not sufficient farmland acreage to meet the current requirements of the Agricultural Districts Law, due to the significant loss of farms and farmland over the past 30 years.

This bill would update the current threshold for creating an Agricultural District to reflect the changes in farming that have occurred and would support the desire of the public to maintain and grow the number of farms within their communities. All of the other existing provisions of the law, such as local input and county and state approval would remain in place.

Prior legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the State.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.