Allows the New York state thruway authority to provide a discounted toll rate to farmers transporting agricultural products

Title of bill

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to allowing the New York state thruway authority to provide a discounted toll rate to farmers transporting agricultural products

Purpose

To reduce the transportation costs that New York farmers face when bringing agricultural products to market.

Summary of provisions

Section 1 amends the Public Authorities Law by adding a section 354 (a), which provides a fifty percent discount on tolls along roads maintained by the Thruway Authority for farmers who have filed a "Farmer's and Commercial Horse Boarding Operator's Exemption Certificate" (ST-125).

Section 2 sets forth the effective date.

Justification

In recent years, there has been a local food movement in New York State, where residents are starting to see the benefits of purchasing locally grown products. They support farmers who live in their own state, or even in their immediate county. In turn, residents receive healthy foods that don't have the artificial preservatives needed to ship the products across long distances.

High transportation costs are often a factor that prevent farmers from shipping goods to market. Farmers have tight profit margins, and the combination of fuel, vehicle maintenance, and highway tolls does not help their financial situation.

This bill reduces those expenses by allowing farmers who are in the process of shipping goods to only pay half the normal toll. It eases the burden of the Thruway's high user fees, which are only increasing with time. This bill supports the local food movement and assists the state's agriculture sector.

Legislative history

None

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This bill shall take effect on January 1, 2017.