What's happening
This bill expands FreshConnect produce rebates to supermarkets and grocery stores.
Why it matters
More shopping locations. Eligible participants could receive FreshConnect rebates for qualifying local produce bought at supermarkets and grocery stores across New York.
Purchase incentive. The program provides $2 toward further local produce purchases for every $5 of local produce purchased.
Implementation required. The agriculture and markets commissioner must expand the program, with the change taking effect 180 days after becoming law.
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Who cares
FreshConnect participants
They could earn rebates on qualifying local produce purchases at supermarkets and grocery stores.
Supermarkets and grocery stores
Their qualifying local produce sales would become eligible for FreshConnect incentives.
New York produce growers
The expansion would encourage purchases of qualifying New York-grown produce.
Department of Agriculture and Markets
Its commissioner would be responsible for expanding the program.
Headline styles
Expand FreshConnect to Grocery Stores
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to agriculture
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2577
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 28, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to incentivize the purchase of local produce in supermarkets and grocery stores through the FreshConnect program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. (a) For the purposes of this act the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(i) "local produce" means produce grown by a producer with the pride of New York symbol of the business claiming the local produce tax credit within the state of New York, from seed or conception through final product.
(ii) "producer" means an individual, whether acting individually or through a cooperative, corporation, partnership, business association, or educational institution, who is a farmer, student farmer or manufacturer of foods or goods in New York state. It shall not, however, include a wholesaler or distributor.
(iii) "supermarket" or "grocery store" means a retail store at a given location devoted to the sale of foods, food stuffs and groceries for human consumption regularly and customarily sold in a bona fide manner for consumption off of the premises. The following shall not be considered supermarkets or grocery stores for the purposes of this act: hotels, motels, restaurants, cafeterias, bakeries, caterers, hospitals, assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, nursing homes, hospices, group homes, drug stores, educational institutions, food courts in shopping malls, food retailers at airports or other transportation facilities, gas stations, sports arenas, movie theaters or any other similar establishments.
(b) The commissioner of agriculture and markets shall expand the FreshConnect program, which improves access to local produce by providing certain people with two dollar rebates to be used for the purchase
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05654-01-9
S. 2577 2
of further local produce for every five dollars of local produce purchased, to include local produce sold in supermarkets and grocery stores.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to incentivize the purchase of local produce in supermarkets and grocery stores through the FreshConnect program
Purpose or general idea of bill
To expand the reach of the FreshConnect program across the state and increase access to affordable fruits and vegetables to New Yorkers in need.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 establishes definitions for local produce and producer. As well as requiring that the commissioner of agriculture and markets expand the FreshConnect program to include local produce sold in super- markets.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
According to the USDA's Choose My Plate recommendations, eating fruits and vegetables provides health benefits - people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of the body.
In 2011, Governor Cuomo introduced the FreshConnect program to create new farmers' markets and support existing markets that provide outlets for fresh food in high need neighborhoods, as well as providing a $2 incentive for every $5 of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit used at participating markets thereby increasing the purchasing power of SNAP consumers by 40 percent while supporting local farmers. The program expanded to include Veterans', Servicemembers and their immediate family members in 2014.
This program has been incredibly successful at increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables to the almost 1.5 million New Yorkers that live in areas with limited supermarket access. This bill seeks to expand the program to include supermarkets and grocery stores as well, this way helping people bring home more healthy fruits and vegetables while still supporting local farmers. The wins are three-fold: low-income consumers eat more healthy food, local farmers gain new customers and make more money, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.
Similar programs have been implemented in other states like the Double Up Food Bucks program in Michigan, where farmers markets, supermarkets, and grocery stores participate.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S.8695 - Referred to Agriculture
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.