Bill > S01231

This bill establishes the New York Farm to School and School Garden Fund, a new state fund designed to support agricultural education and local food consumption in schools. The fund will be created through voluntary contributions that individuals can make when filing their state income taxes, allowing taxpayers to donate whole dollar amounts specifically for establishing school gardens and purchasing educational materials and equipment related to local food production. The fund will be jointly managed by the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance, and will be used to support projects that promote students' understanding and consumption of local agricultural products, in cooperation with the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. The bill requires the Commissioner of Education to provide an annual detailed report to various state legislative leaders and the public, which must include specifics about fund disbursements, such as the amount of money distributed, award recipients, purposes of awards, and financial projections. Notably, the contributions will not reduce the amount of state tax owed by individuals, and all revenues collected will be exclusively used for the specified farm-to-school and school garden purposes. The act will take effect 90 days after becoming law.

Budget and Finance

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1231