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2 Co-sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to environmental conservation
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1853
- Reported and committed to rules
- Referred to environmental conservation
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.
Help Farmers Drain Fields
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor William Magee
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1435
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2017
Introduced by Sens. RITCHIE, GALLIVAN, MARCHIONE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
AN ACT to amend the soil and water conservation districts law, in relation to farm drain tile financial assistance; and to repeal section 4-a of such law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 4-a of the soil and water conservation districts law is REPEALED and a new section 4-a is added to read as follows:
§ 4-a. Farm drain tile financial assistance program. 1. Subject to the availability of funds, financial assistance is available to farm operations, as defined in section three hundred one of the agriculture and markets law, to fund the implementation of subsurface tile drainage projects that meet the following criteria:
a. the farm operation must participate in the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program as set forth in article eleven-A of the agriculture and markets law, having completed at least an AEM Tier 3A nutrient management plan for their entire crop production land base;
b. the project must be for the construction or improvement of subsurface drain tile, nutrient management and best management practices to reduce the risk of nutrients exiting tile lines;
c. the project must be implemented by a district, or group of districts acting jointly, and such district or districts must have funds available to pay for its/their share of the eligible project costs.
2. Applications for matching grants shall contain the following information:
a. the name and location of the farm operation and the tracts to be improved through subsurface drainage;
b. identification of the best management practices to be implemented to reduce the risk of nutrients exiting tile lines;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07353-01-7
S. 1435 2
c. a cost estimate for the proposed project;
d. the source of funds available to the district to pay for its share of the eligible costs;
e. information sufficient to demonstrate that the criteria in subdivision one of this section have been met; and
f. such further information as may thereafter be required by the committee to determine funding prioritization in the event that applications for funding exceed amounts available for the purpose of this section.
3. Eligible costs that may be funded pursuant to this section are consultant/contractor services, engineering costs, legal services, equipment/materials, and other direct expenses related to project implementation.
4. State assistance payments pursuant to this section shall be up to a maximum of seventy-five percent of the eligible costs, not to exceed fifty thousand dollars per annum to any single agricultural producer.
5. The committee may adopt rules and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the soil and water conservation districts law, in relation to farm drain tile financial assistance; and to repeal section 4-a of such law relating thereto
Purpose
This bill provides for farm drain tile financial assistance to aid farmers in adding drain tile to their fields
Summary of provisions
Section 1 repeals Section 4-a of the soil and water conservation districts law and a new section 4a is added to allow financial assistance to farm operations to enable them to implement subsurface tile drainage projects.
Section 2 provides the effective date.
Justification
For a piece of land to be agriculturally viable for planting and growing, it must have the right conditions. One of the factors that can prevent a piece of land from being suitable for planting and farming is the amount of subsurface moisture present. Too much subsurface moisture prevents root development and inhibits the growth of crops. It can also make it difficult for farm equipment to access the land.
The installation of drain tile is often the best way to treat excessive amounts of subsurface water on an otherwise viable piece of farm land. The addition of drain tile draws the moisture further down into the soil and then provides a way for it to drain effectively, thus lowering the water table on a piece of land. By lowering the water table, plants are able to develop stronger roots to better absorb the oxygen and other nutrients present in the soil.
The installation of drain tile, although effective in treating subsurface water, is costly. Therefore, this bill seeks to aid farmers in the installation of drain tile in their fields by providing financial assistance to farmers for the costs associated with the installation of drain tile in their fields.
Legislative history
2015-2016: S.2531-B Passed the Senate/A.7064-B 2013-2014: S.5482/ A.7707
Fiscal implications
Subject to budgetary appropriation.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.