What's happening
This bill expands eligibility for New York’s young farmers loan forgiveness program and updates award priority criteria.
Why it matters
Expands who can apply. The bill removes the requirement to apply within two years of college graduation and instead allows anyone who has produced an agricultural product for no more than ten consecutive years to be eligible. This significantly widens access to the program, helping more young farmers at different career stages.
Shifts focus to actual farming experience. By tying eligibility to years of agricultural production rather than years since graduation, the bill acknowledges the varied paths people take into farming and supports those who may have entered the field later.
Updates award priorities for returning applicants and those with economic need. Priority for awards is now given to those reapplying in their second through fifth year of farm operation, and to new applicants who can show economic need but haven't received an award before, offering more continuity of support and targeting those who need it most.
Could strengthen NY’s agricultural sector. By making it easier for more young farmers to access debt relief, the bill aims to reduce financial barriers, potentially helping to sustain family farms, encourage new entrants, and stabilize rural communities in New York.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Young Farmer Loan Help
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to higher education
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to higher education
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1258
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to higher 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.
Expand Young Farmer Loan Forgiveness
In Assembly Committee · Higher Education · Sponsor Donna Lupardo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5715
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 13, 2019
Introduced by Sen. METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to eligibility and awards for the New York state young farmers loan forgiveness incentive program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 679-f of the education law, as added by section 1 of part Y of chapter 56 of the laws of 2014, is amended to read as follows:
§ 679-f. New York state young farmers loan forgiveness incentive program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness awards for the purpose of alleviating the burden of student loan debt for young farmers. Such awards shall be made on a competitive basis, in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the corporation for such purposes, to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria. Such rules and regulations shall include provisions for the consideration of applicants who are economically disadvantaged.
2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section, applicants shall: (a) have graduated and obtained a degree from an approved New York state college or university; (b) have an outstanding student loan debt from obtaining such degree; (c) operate a farm in New York state on a full-time basis; (d) agree to operate such farm for the duration of no less than five years; (e) [apply for this program within two years of college graduation] have produced an "agricultural product" as defined by section three hundred twenty-eight of the agriculture and markets law, for no more than ten consecutive years; and (f) comply with subdivisions three and five of section six hundred sixty-one of this part.
3. Awards. No greater than ten awards shall be granted to qualified applicants in the amount of up to ten thousand dollars per year, per
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11672-01-9
S. 5715 2
applicant, not to exceed a duration of five years and not to exceed the total amount of such applicant's student loan debt. The corporation shall grant such awards within amounts appropriated for such purposes and based on the availability of funds. No one applicant shall receive more than a total of fifty thousand dollars upon the end of a five year period.
4. Priority. First priority shall be given to applicants who are completing the second, third, fourth or fifth year of full-time farm operation and are re-applying to receive an award under this program. Second priority shall be given to an applicant who can demonstrate economic need but did not receive an award during [the first year of this program's operation] a previous application period. If larger numbers of applicants are eligible pursuant to this subdivision than funds available, applicants shall be chosen pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the corporation. Provided, however, that each applicant chosen shall receive an award of up to ten thousand dollars in each year such applicant is accepted into the program.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth 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 education law, in relation to eligibility and awards for the New York state young farmers loan forgiveness incentive program
Purpose
The purpose of this legislation is to expand eligibility for the New York State young farmer loan forgiveness incentive program.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 - Amends section 679-f of the education law to remove the requirement that eligible persons have graduated from college within the previous two years and is replaced with the qualification that a person must not have farmed for more than ten consecutive years.
Section 2 - Effective Date - 90th day
Justification
New York is home to over 35,000 farms, which generate over $4.8 billion in revenue. However, a recent USDA census found that New York has lost 2,100 farms since the last census was conducted in 2012. Many farmers struggle to find new owners making succession planning difficult. A barrier to farm ownership is student debt. In order to encourage new farmers this legislation opens up eligibility to more borrowers for forgiveness. Debt forgiveness is a financial incentive to encourage more New Yorkers to join the state's long history of agricultural production.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the 90th 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.