What's happening
This bill authorizes an annual award for student groups excelling in farm-to-school programs or school gardens, offering SUNY/CUNY tuition credits.
Why it matters
Encourages youth leadership and engagement. by formally recognizing students who take initiative and lead farm-to-school or school garden projects, potentially inspiring more young people to get involved in agriculture and sustainability efforts.
Promotes experiential learning and local agriculture. as schools that integrate local or regional agricultural products into classroom activities, cafeterias, and curricula are prioritized, supporting healthier food options and connections to local farms.
Provides tangible educational incentives. through SUNY/CUNY tuition or fee credits for awardees, making higher education more accessible and rewarding students not just with recognition but with real financial support.
Elevates the status of school agriculture programs. by giving annual state-level recognition at the New York State Fair, which could increase community and institutional support for farm-to-school initiatives and school gardens statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Reward Students Growing Food
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to education
- Print number 7003a
- Amend (t) and recommit to education
- Referred to education
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.
Reward Students for School Gardens
In Senate Committee · Education · Sponsor Patty Ritchie
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7003--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 29, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to authorize the commissioner of agriculture and markets to create an annual award to recognize students involved in a farm-toschool program or school garden
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is hereby authorized and directed to create an award to be presented every year hereafter at the state fair in recognition of student body that, as a group, contributed to the success of a farm-to-school program or school garden at their school. The commissioner of agriculture and markets shall be authorized to provide funds for this award only to the extent that an appropriation is available for this act's specific purpose.
§ 2. (a) Candidates can be nominated by their school's principal or teachers. The commissioner of agriculture and markets is instructed to seek candidates with at least the qualities prescribed in this section, though additional criteria not prescribed here may be used when evaluating candidates. With respect to their school's farm-to-school program or school garden candidates should;
(i) demonstrate commitment and leadership;
(ii) progressively inspire a greater proportion of their school's student body to become involved;
(iii) collaborate with colleagues, students, and their community; and
(iv) create a meaningful and functional program for their school.
(b) For each quality listed in subdivision (a) of this section, specific examples and data shall be provided on behalf of each group of candidates; however, primarily quantitative responses should not be favored where quantitative data obscures qualitative information concerning the students' experiences. Applications must demonstrate that
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07033-06-7
A. 7003--A 2
the relevant program or garden was primarily driven by the creativity and initiative of the student body participating in the program. Special consideration should be given to those candidates that integrate local or regional agricultural products of any kind in to the classroom, cafeteria, and curriculum, or that have founded school gardens or minifarms.
§ 3. Awards shall consist of a credit against any fees or tuition charged during an awardee's first semester of enrollment in any part of SUNY or CUNY, if such enrollment occurs, given in equal dollar amounts to each student individually named in the nomination documentation.
§ 4. Awards shall be given each year at the New York state fair in consultation with the state fair's agriculture department, the director of the state fair and the commissioner of education. The first such award will be granted in the year following the year of enactment.
§ 5. 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.