What's happening
This bill sets a goal for SUNY campuses to purchase at least 20% New York state food products, with bidding preference for local foods.
Why it matters
Supports New York farmers and food producers. by directing public university food budgets toward local agriculture, which can help sustain rural economies and keep more food dollars circulating within the state.
Broadens the definition of "local". to include not just food grown or produced in New York, but also processed foods where over half of the ingredients are New York sourced, encouraging investment in both farming and food processing sectors.
Allows SUNY campuses to pay a modest premium (up to 10%). for New York state food products when awarding contracts, recognizing the higher value or potential higher cost of local foods and making it easier for local suppliers to compete with larger, non-local vendors.
Could influence campus food quality, sustainability, and traceability,. since sourcing locally often means fresher products with a smaller carbon footprint and more accountability regarding production practices.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Buy Local Food for SUNY
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Print number 6908a
- Amend and recommit to finance
- Referred to finance
- Referred to rules
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.
Require SUNY Buy NY Food
In Assembly Committee · Governmental Operations · Sponsor Albert A. Stirpe
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6908--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
December 16, 2019
Introduced by Sens. MAY, METZGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to the Committee on Finance in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing procurement goals for New York state food products on SUNY campuses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 163-c to read as follows:
§ 163-c. Procurement goals for New York state food products on SUNY campuses. 1. For the purposes of this section, the term "New York state food product" shall mean a food item that is:
(a) grown, harvested, or produced in this state; or
(b) processed inside or outside this state comprising over fifty-one percent agricultural raw materials grown, harvested, or produced in this state, by weight or volume.
2. (a) In order to create, strengthen, and expand local farm and food economies throughout New York, it shall be the goal of this state that twenty percent of all food and food products purchased by public universities, shall, by two thousand twenty-one, be New York state food products.
(b) To meet the goals set forth in this section, when a SUNY contract for the purchase of food or food products is to be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, an otherwise qualified bidder who will fulfill the contract through the use of New York state food products may be given preference over other bidders, provided that the cost included in the bid of New York state food products is not more than ten percent greater than the cost included in a bid that is not for New York state food products.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14349-04-0
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the state finance law, in relation to establishing procurement goals for New York state food products on SUNY campuses
Purpose
This bill will support and expand food and farm economics throughout New York State by ensuring that 20% of all food and farm products purchased by public universities are New York state food products.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: establishes procurement goals for SUNY campuses that, by 2021, 20% of all food and farm products purchased by SUNY will be grown, harvested, or produced in this state or, if processed, will contain 51% raw ingredients grown, harvested, or produced in this state.
Section 2: effective date.
Justification
The State University of New York (SUNY) is one of the largest university systems in the country, with 64 campuses in every corner of the state serving more than 400,000 students and 90,000 faculty and staff. This gives SUNY unique leverage to impact New York's food economy through its purchasing. According to American Farmland Trust, SUNY campuses spend more than $150 million per year on food purchases. Building a system inside of SUNY to spend a larger portion of its food budget on local foods and farm products will enhance New York's farm economies, increase food security in all of our communities, and take a major step forward toward meeting the demand for local and minimally processed foods that many consumers expect today.
Legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications
To Be Determined
Effective date
30 days after becoming law
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.