What's happening
This bill allows counties to directly purchase certain farm products from New York producers or small associations, with spending limits and regulations.
Why it matters
Enables counties to support local agriculture. by allowing them to buy eggs, livestock, fish, dairy, juice, grains, and fresh produce directly from New York producers or small farm associations, potentially strengthening local farm economies and food systems.
Sets spending limits to control costs. by capping each county’s annual purchases at either the standard procurement threshold or 20 cents per county resident, whichever is higher—ensuring fiscal oversight and preventing unrestricted spending.
Prioritizes small farm associations. (10 or fewer owners) but provides a pathway for larger associations to participate if smaller groups are unavailable, aimed at broadening access while focusing on small-scale, local producers.
Requires fair pricing and equitable access. by mandating state oversight to ensure counties pay no more than market prices and that all interested local producers have a fair chance to sell, while also seeking to minimize extra paperwork for both farms and county governments.
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Who cares
County purchasing officials
Counties could buy specified farm products directly from New York producers, growers or their associations, subject to annual spending limits and pricing rules.
New York farmers and growers
The bill would create a direct county sales opportunity, with rules ensuring equitable access when multiple producers offer the same product.
Farm producer and grower associations
Associations with ten or fewer farm owner-operators could supply counties, while larger associations would need state permission when no other producers or growers offer to sell.
Office of General Services and Department of Agriculture and Markets
OGS would develop purchasing regulations in consultation with Agriculture and Markets and review requests to buy from larger associations.
Headline styles
Let Towns Buy Local Food
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to local governments
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
613
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER, RAIA -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. MAGEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend the general municipal law, in relation to the purchase of farm products by municipalities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 103 of the general municipal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9-a to read as follows:
9-a. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section to the contrary, a county may separately purchase eggs, livestock, fish, dairy products, juice, grains, and species of fresh fruit and vegetables directly from New York state producers or growers, or associations of producers and growers, provided that:
(a) such association of producers or growers is comprised of ten or fewer owners of farms who also operate such farms and who have combined to fill the order of a county as herein authorized, provided however, that a county may apply to the commissioner of the office of general services for permission to purchase from an association of more than ten owners of such farms when no other producers or growers have offered to sell to such county;
(b) the amount that may be expended by a county in any fiscal year for such purchases shall not exceed the greater of:
(i) the expenditure threshold provided in subdivision one of this section; or
(ii) twenty cents multiplied by the total population of such county;
(c) all such purchases shall be administered pursuant to regulations promulgated by the commissioner of the office of general services and developed in consultation with the commissioner of the department of agriculture and markets. Such regulations shall ensure that the prices paid by a county for any items so purchased do not exceed the prices of comparable local farm products that are available to the political
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03373-01-7
A. 613 2
subdivision or district therein through their usual purchases of such items; include provisions for situations when more than one producer or grower seeks to sell the same product to a county to ensure that all such producers or growers have an equitable opportunity to do so in a manner similar to the usual purchasing practices of such county; include guidelines for the approval of purchases of items from associations of more than ten growers or producers; and, to the maximum extent practicable, minimize additional paperwork, recordkeeping and other similar requirements on both growers and producers and counties.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.