What's happening
This bill increases the maximum state funding for implementing agricultural and farmland protection plans from 75% to 85% of eligible costs.
Why it matters
Reduces local financial burden. By raising the state’s funding cap from 75% to 85% for implementing agricultural and farmland protection plans, the bill enables counties and municipalities to pursue more ambitious or comprehensive projects while requiring less local or private matching funds.
Encourages farmland preservation. The increased state share may incentivize more communities to participate in farmland protection initiatives, potentially accelerating the preservation of agricultural land and reducing the risk of development or loss of farmland.
Short-term policy window. The bill includes a three-year sunset clause, meaning the higher funding level is temporary unless renewed, which could create urgency for local governments to develop and implement protection plans during this period.
Continues private contribution incentives. The bill retains an incentive for landowners to contribute, allowing the state share to rise to 87.5% of eligible costs if the landowner covers a portion—potentially increasing collaboration between public and private stakeholders.
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
Boost Farm Protection Funding
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Recommit, enacting clause stricken
- Referred to agriculture
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
883
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to state assistance payments for implementation of agricultural and farmland protection plans; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 325 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by chapter 150 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
1. Subject to the availability of funds, a program is hereby established to finance through state assistance payments the state share of the costs of locally-led agricultural and farmland protection activities. State assistance payments for planning activities shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars to each county agricultural and farmland protection board or one hundred thousand dollars to two such boards applying jointly, and shall not exceed fifty percent of the cost of preparing an agricultural and farmland protection plan. State assistance payments for planning activities shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars to each municipality other than a county or fifty thousand dollars to two such municipalities applying jointly, and shall not exceed seventy-five percent of the cost of preparing an agricultural and farmland protection plan. A county which has an approved farmland protection plan may after one hundred twenty months from the date of such approval by the commissioner apply for additional state assistance payments for planning activities related to the updating of their current plan or development of a new farmland protection plan. Such additional state assistance payments shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars to each county agricultural and farmland protection board or one hundred thousand dollars to two such boards applying jointly, and shall
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04126-01-9
S. 883 2
not exceed fifty percent of the cost of preparing an agricultural and farmland protection plan. State assistance payments for implementation of approved agricultural and farmland protection plans may fund up to [seventy-five] eighty-five percent of the cost of implementing the county plan or portion of the plan for which state assistance payments are requested. State assistance payments to such counties shall not exceed [seventy-five] eighty-five percent of the cost of implementing the local plan or portion of the plan for which state assistance has been requested. Such maximum shall be increased by a percentage equal to the percentage of the total eligible costs for such specified projects that are contributed by the owner of the agricultural land for which the project is being funded, provided, however, that in no event shall the total of such state assistance payments exceed eighty-seven and one-half percent of such eligible costs for any specified project.
§ 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 325 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by chapter 234 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
(b) Within a county, a municipality which has in place a local farmland protection plan may apply and shall be eligible for agricultural protection state assistance payments to implement its plan, or a portion of its plan, provided the proposed project is endorsed for funding by the agricultural and farmland protection board for the county in which the municipality is located and that any plan developed on or after January first, two thousand six complies with section three hundred twenty-four-a of this article. State assistance payments to such municipalities shall not exceed [seventy-five] eighty-five percent of the cost of implementing the local plan or portion of the plan for which state assistance has been requested. Such maximum shall be increased by a percentage equal to the percentage of the total eligible costs for such specified projects that are contributed by the owner of the agricultural land for which the project is being funded; provided, however, that in no event shall the total of such state assistance payments exceed eighty-seven and one-half percent of such eligible costs for any specified project. The commissioner may require such information or additional planning as he or she deems necessary to evaluate such a request for state assistance.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed three years after such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to state assistance payments for implementation of agricultural and farmland protection plans; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
Purpose
The purpose of the bill is to encourage more participation in the State's agricultural and farmland protection program by farmers, coun- ties and municipalities, by increasing the State share of the cost of implementing agricultural and farmland protection plans.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Amends subdivision 1 of section 325 of the Agriculture and Markets Law by increasing the limit on State assistance payments for implementation of approved agricultural and farmland protection plans by counties, and local farmland protection plans by municipalities, from 75 to 85 percent. Section 2: Amends paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 of section 325 of the Agriculture and Markets Law. Section 3: Sets forth the effective date.
Existing law
AML S 325 limits State assistance payments to 75 percent of the cost of implementing county and municipal farmland protection plans.
Justification
For qualified farms, the State provides assistance payments to help fund up to 75 percent of the cost of conservation easements purchased by counties and municipalities pursuant to a county or municipal farmland protection plan. Counties and municipalities have frequently sought out additional sources of funding, such as the federal Farmland Protection Program, to defer the remaining costs. In the last few years, due to conditions placed on federal grants that conflict with the goals of the State's program, the Department of Agriculture and Markets (Department) decided not to continue to allow federal monies to be used to help pay for the unfunded portion of the State program. As a result, some inter- ested farmers and local governments did not participate in the program. By increasing the amount the State will contribute toward the cost of the acquisition of conservation easements from 75 to 85 percent, the bill provides added financial incentive for farmers and local govern- ments to participate in the program.
Legislative history
2017,2018: S.3934 Referred to Agriculture 2015,2016: S.3023 Referred to Agriculture 2014: S.2709A Referred to Agriculture 2013: S.2709 Referred to Agriculture 2011,2012: S.869 Referred to Agriculture 2009,2010: S.2473 Referred to Agriculture 2007,2008: S.4333B/A.7361B Passed the Senate
Fiscal implications
None. The number of projects that the Department could fund, however, might decrease because each farm awarded a grant would receive up to 10t more of the funds available for the program from the Environmental Protection Fund.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed three years after such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.